Accidentally in Love
by velvet86
Summary: The lives of Harry, Hermione and Ron turn upside down once again. The war is over and now they start asking themselves what comes next? There never seemed to be enough hope to really make plans for a time after Voldemort. And when the line of love and friendship starts to blur, suddenly nothing is like it used to be.
1. Chapter 1

Accidentally in Love

Chapter 1: Messed up kisses

It was over. Finally. After all These years, after all the pain and the fighting it was finally done. Not even death had prevented him from winning. Tom Riddle's lifeless body hit the ground with an infinite sound and Harry stopped breathing for a moment, overwhelmed and confused, as if he was waiting for Voldemort to jump up and continue fighting. But he didn't. He was gone. Finally.

Harry didn't hear the screams, didn't feel the hands touching him, didn't notice the rain that had started. The only thing he noticed was Hermione running towards him, throwing her arms around him and nearly knocking him over. The only real thing in the world seemed to be the warmth of her body, the smell of her hair, the shine in her eyes and her voice whispering „It's over". He started breathing and his heart rate sped up. For a blissfull moment everything was good. More than good, it was perfect. It felt real.

Unfortunately it didn't last long. Other arms came hugging him, other voices tried talking to him, everybody wanted to be close to the Chosen One, to the boy that lived. They didn't notice, that he only wanted to be back in Hermiones arms. And they didn't even seem to care. He'd ended it. The war was over. They wanted to celebrate, to mourn and to be close to him. Nobody cared that Harry was tired, that he'd gone through hell and back and that he wanted to rest. He needed time. And a shower, a sandwich and a bed.

Ron finally hugged him and Ginny came up next. She buried her head in his neck and gave it a light kiss. "That was incredible." She whispered and Harry sighed before pulling back softly. He didn't feel like it was incredible. He felt like the only thing that was incredible was actually how lucky he'd been. But he didn't try to explain to Ginny. Tears were shining in her eyes and he just smiled reassuringly, trying to tell her with his eyes that everything would be good. He didn't know if things would turn out the way she hoped they would, but at the moment he couldn't care about that. His gaze locked with Hermione, who was standing next to Ron, looking at him. No, things probably wouldn't turn out the way Ginny expected.

Everything after those moments passed in a blur for Harry. He did what was expected and went through the Great Hall to thank everybody and he looked at those who had died and listened to their story, even though he knew they would follow him in his dreams. But it was the least he could do. Some losses were so painful that Harry felt like finally breaking down. He needed to be strong a bit longer. But it was hard. Seeing Tonks, Lupin and Fred was like ripping his heart out and tossing it to the ground. They had died because of him. He knew that this thought was stupid. He knew that it was Riddle's fault. He was the one who'd killed all of them. But still, Harry couldn't stop feeling guilty. Guilty because their lives had ended and his not.

He went to Dumbledores office with only Hermione and Ron. He repaired his wand with the Elder Wand and talked to Dumbledores portrait. He didn't want to use the wand. He wouldn't go looking for the stone either. The only thing Harry wanted to keep was the invisibility cloak that belonged to him already. Dumbledore agreed and then it was time to say goodbye for now. And for the first time in 7 years, Harry didn't feel sad about leaving Hogwarts.

It was decided that Kingsley would temporary become the new Minister of Magic. Besides, Professor McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn and all other teachers decided to spend the summer reconstructing Hogwarts. So there was nothing left to do and finally the Weasleys, Hermione and Harry left for the Burrow. There would be a huge funeral for everybody who had died later on. Probably in Hogwarts, where they planned to make a cemetery to commemorate everybody who'd lost his life in the battle. But it would take a couple of days, a lot of organizing and preparations. Harry was glad he didn't have to take care of it. He just wanted to sleep. Even though he was afraid of the dreams, he craved sleeping anyway.

Everybody was very quiet. Molly couldn't stop crying, George didn't crack a smile or made a joke, Ron was staring quietly into the burning fire while Ginny had her chin resting on her knees, also staring into the flames. Harry excused himself and took a long shower. He didn't want to go back. He didn't want to think of the big hole Fred had left behind. He wanted to forget…

Harry finally went to his bed in Ron's room and fell into a deep and fortunately dreamless sleep. It didn't last long though. Soon he was tortured with dreams about Voldemort killing everybody he cared about and finally Harry woke up sweating, his heart racing. It was still dark outside and Ron was breathing evenly. Harry touched his scar out of habit, but it didn't hurt, it didn't tingle, it didn't make him feel strange. It was just a scar. The Horcrux was gone. His heart rate turned back to normal but he was wide awake. Finally he couldn't sit there any longer, so he stood up and left the room quietly.

He spend some time outside, watching the first rays of sunrise, all kinds of thoughts going through his mind. And then he heard her steps and the thoughts stilled, as if her simple presence kept him at peace. He didn't have to look at her, he knew she was standing right next to him.

"I couldn't sleep" he finally explained, well aware of the fact how senseless such a comment was. Hermione didn't mind. She never did.

"Same here." She whispered.

And that was it. Just like that they stood next to each other, looking at the rising sun, feeling completely at ease even though everything was so messed up. It had always been like that with her. Easy. Simple. Instinct. Harry grabbed her hand and their fingers interlaced. She felt warm. Warm and steady. A constant in his life he didn't want to miss. They looked innocent, like two friends holding hands, comforting each other with their simple presence. But they were far from it. Harry glanced sideways and locked eyes with Hermione. The sunrise was immediately forgotten. Thousands of images played in his head, images he should have suppressed but that would be as if someone told him to stop breathing – not possible. He could see in her amber eyes, that she thought the same.

Harry didn't plan to do it. He didn't really think about it, nor did he consider not doing it. He was simply acting on instinct when he bend down, softly touching Hermiones lips with his own, as if he wanted to ask permission. As if he wasn't sure if she would open up or back away. As if it was their first kiss. She buried her hands in his hair, pressing her body close to his and every small bit of restraint he might have felt just vanished. The kiss turned from soft to passionate in an instant and Harry could feel his whole body humming in response. How could something that felt so right be so wrong at the same time?

They wouldn't have stopped kissing. Harry knew that things would have probably gotten out of control. They always did with Hermione. But the sudden bang of a door and Mrs. Weasleys voice startled them and made them back away as if they'd been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Hermione took another step back, her cheeks flushed, her lips red from their kiss. She looked so beautiful in the light of the sunrise that it nearly took Harrys breath away.

"I should go." She whispered, a confused look on her face. "We shouldn't…, I mean not here…, what I'm trying to say is…" she stammered and Harry took her hand, looking at her intently. She seemed to caml down immediately.

"I know. I understand." He simply said and she relaxed, her shoulders sagging with a mix of relief and sadness. He felt the same way. It was so messed up.

"I'm proud of you." She finally whispered and Harry knew what she was talking about. Her eyes were so sincere and loving that his heart missed a beat.

"I would have failed instantly without you." He said honestly which made her smile gently.

"I want to kiss you again." He said all of a sudden and her smile vanished, replaced by a blush that made him want to hold her even more.

He expected her to tell him that they had a certain responsibility, and that they couldn't go on like this. That now was not the place and not the time and that they had to stop being so damn reckless. Instead she surprised him once more by saying:

"Me too."

They both looked at each other, not moving, not saying anything. It had always been simple with Hermione. Easy. Natural. Harry could hardly believe that it had taken him so long to notice. Maybe too long. He was well aware that he might be too late. And the thought scared him in a way he couldn't explain. They both went back to the house silently and started helping Mrs. Weasley with breakfast. Her face was red and her eyes puffy. She'd probably cried all night. Harrys heart tightened in his chest. Things were so messed up.

This was Chapter 1 of my new story, Accidentally in Love. I hope you enjoyed reading and maybe you have time to leave a little review Any kinds of comments are appreciated. Please don't forget I'm actually German, so if there are any grammer or vocabulary mistakes, don't kill me ;-)


	2. Chapter 2 - A dance to remember

Accidentally in Love

Chapter 2: A dance to remember

In the next days, the magical community was flooded with headlines about the new government and all the changes that had been sought instantly. Death Eaters that tried to escape were captured, put on trial and afterwards send to Azkaban. Kingsley was busy cleaning up the ministry and as far as Hermione could tell, he did a great job. The investigation of muggle born wizards and witches stopped and the Ministry of Magic got a new make-over. Hermione was especially happy to hear that the terrible fountain she'd seen a couple of weeks ago had disappeared.

Percy, Mr. Weasley, Bill and once even Kingsley brought all kinds of news and were working a lot. Even though Mr. Weasley could have stayed home, he insisted helping to reconstruct a stable government. Mrs. Weasley didn't even seem to notice. She was still in a shock-like state. Sometimes Hermione felt as if she would never again be the woman she'd known for all those years. But there were moments when she cracked a smile or hugged her other children lovingly and that gave Hermione hope. Time could heal nearly every wound.

The big funeral in Hogwarts was held a week later and was beautifully done. There were hundreds of people attending and the castle was already rebuild from the outside. It would take much longer to finish it, but it was a beginning. Summer was close and everybody was sitting on white chairs next to the newly build memorial, stating every single name of the people who had died fighting. Hermione could hardly stop crying, and she wasn't the only one. Nearly everybody had lost someone close during this war and it was hard to imagine that those persons would never come back.

The one who probably suffered most was Harry. Hermione knew that he felt guilty, as if he was responsible for every single name on that memorial. Which was stupid of course, but so typically Harry. He tried to hold back tears and be strong, but Hermione knew that he felt miserable and would be happy when this was over. She felt the same way if she was honest.

Harry had been asked to say a couple of words and when he stood up, Hermione gave him a reassuring nod. He approached the podium slowly and finally he stood in front of all those people, nervous and paralyzed, probably overwhelmed and not sure what to do or say. Hermione softly called his name and this seemed to wake him up. He sought her eyes and she once again nodded. "You can do it." She thought and he gave a small nod back before he started talking in a loud and clear voice.

"I just want to say thank you. Thank you all for believing in me, for supporting me, for being brave enough to fight one of the hardest fights and for being here to remember all those who had to give their life for trying to make this world a better place for all of us. Every single name on this memorial has a deep meaning for me and will accompany me for the rest of my life. I want to help to rebuild our society to one of tolerance, peace and affiliation. And I hope to be part of a future that every one of those beloved persons we have lost, helped to establish."

Hermione had goosebumps from Harry's voice, the look in his bright eyes and the words he'd chosen. He hadn't wanted any help because he felt as if he owed it to everyone to use his own words. Hermione had been very proud of him. Harry had always been an incredibly righteous person and it was one of the things she loved about him. He knew what was right and he always stood up for it.

They didn't really have any chance to talk in private the last week. Ron was so lost in thought that he fortunately didn't want to talk a lot either and even Ginny didn't say much. They discussed the changes in the ministry, their worry about Mrs. Weasley or things like Quidditch but they all seemed to agree silently that now was not the time to talk about their messed up love lifes. Hermione was grateful for every delay she got to avoid this conversation. And honestly, at the moment there were far more important issues.

Kingsley had offered them to let them work in the Ministry, even though they didn't finish their education. Harry and Ron seemed to be thrilled about it, Hermione knew that she wanted to finish school first. She didn't really say so, but she was pretty sure at least Harry knew. He always seemed to know how she felt and what she needed.

The rest of the funeral passed with more tears and Harry's short speech was praised by everyone afterwards. Rita Skeeter was even bold enough to tell Harry she was planning a biography about him and that she would be glad about some insight interviews. Harry just shook his head but Hermione had a nice little talk with Rita, telling her that if she planned on writing anything inappropriate it would be the last time she would be capable of using a quill. Rita seemed to know that she was better off taking Hermione seriously.

ooooo

In the evening they all had a big dinner at the Weasleys. Even Kingsley was able to attend and they all clinked glasses to Lupin, Tonks, Fred and all the other ones that had lost their lives. It was a sad gathering, but at the same time comforting. Hermione felt that from now on, life would change again. Even though they would never forgot those who died, there was a time to mourn but there also was a time to go on with life. And she wasn't the only one who felt that way. Ron glanced at her again and again and Ginny sat next to Harry, leaning into him as if seeking his closeness. Hermione couldn't blame her as she felt the same way.

As always when desire haunted her, her thoughts went back to those nights a couple of weeks ago. To those moments that were both unexpected and blissful. It had all started with Ron leaving. Ron, who couldn't wear that locket without turning into a huge dick. Hermione remembered as if it was only yesterday…

 _He was gone. Just like that, he'd left them behind. Left HER behind. After holding her hand at night and finally showing his true feelings, Ron had really left. She stood outside of the tent, screaming his name for what felt like hours. But he didn't come back. He'd abandoned her. And not only her, Harry as well. She couldn't believe it._

 _Ron had been awful lately. His constant moods had annoyed not only Harry but Hermione as well. She tried to be sympathetic, tried to comfort him, to explain that it wasn't Harry's fault for not knowing where to look for the Horcruxes. For Hermione it had been always clear that this task would be hard. She expected it to take a long time, maybe even years. She was ready and knew what had to be sacrificed. It seemed as if Ron hadn't expected it to be quite as difficult. It had been too much for him. He wasn't strong enough._

 _Hermione cried for days. She tried not to show it to Harry, but he knew of course. He always did. While nobody knew what she was really thinking, Harry just needed to look at her and knew. He'd always understood her in a way Ron just wasn't capable of. Being left behind forced Harry and Hermione to be together in a way they didn't know before. It felt natural and easy to be around Harry. It had always been like that. Hermione was too heart-broken to think about what that actually meant. Her head and heart were full of Ron. But as days passed without him and she kept playing the words he'd said in her mind again and again, Hermiones sadness and despair turned to fury. Ron had left her. He knew they could die or be captured any minute and he'd left her anyway. He'd cared more about himself and his ego than about her. And now that she was strong enough to see it, she knew that it always had been like that. Ron Weasley had always searched for the easiest way. Not even his feelings for her had been able to change that. And then another thought struck Hermione. Harry would have never left her. Harry would have rather died than leaving his friends behind. And Hermione was just like him. That's why Ron was gone and she and Harry were still there. Still fighting._

 _That was the first evening she didn't cry. Instead she started making new plans with Harry, trying to find a way to find the next Horcrux or at least a trace as to where it might be. But as they didn't have any new leads, they had to stick to their old plans and didn't really come up with something new. Hermione enjoyed talking anyway. And Harry seemed to relax for the first time in days. He was kind, attentive and tried to make her feel better. No matter what she made for dinner, he tried to help and ate without complaints._

 _Afterwards one of them would keep watch while the other one relaxed. Even though the protective spells worked fine, they didn't want to risk being found. In the beginning Hermione wanted to wait with the spells in case Ron would appear, but she gave up quickly. Ron would never be able to find them. It was too risky anyway. And maybe he wasn't worth it._

 _Harry tried again and again to convince Hermione that it was time to visit Godric's Hollow. She had a bad feeling about it, but Harry was right. They didn't have any clue how to go on and Godric's Hollow was their only lead. Hermione knew that sooner or later she would have to agree to it. And Harry knew as well, that's why he didn't push her._

 _One evening it was so stormy and cold outside, that it was impossible to keep watch. Hermione felt sad while listening to the radio playing some cheesy Christmas song. She hadn't said a lot the whole day. There were moments when she just couldn't believe that he'd really left. How could Hermione have ever thought that Ron truly cared about her? She'd been stupid. She'd forgiven all his mistakes, all the times he'd treated her unfair, even when he started snogging Lavender just to show off. Hermione had forgiven it all because she'd truly liked him. And deep inside she'd always hoped he felt the same way. She wanted a guy that cared about her just as much as she did. She wanted someone who would stick to her no matter the circumstances. Someone who would hold her hand not only at night but also at day. She needed someone who didn't feel threatened by her brains but who acknowledged her and made her feel special. Hermione wanted love. Now that she was in a war that could end with her death, she wanted it more than ever. And she'd thought she'd found it with Ron. But she'd been wrong._

 _When she was just about to dwell on different methods to hurt Ron Weasley, Harry suddenly stood in front of her. She looked up at his outstretched hand and his bright eyes and without thinking she put her hand in his and stood up. He took the locket from around her neck and put it aside, for the first time in weeks. The cheesy Christmas song had changed into a slow ballad and Harry started moving from side to side, holding her hands and giving her a crooked smile. Hermione couldn't help smiling back. Harry had never been a great dancer, but they kept swinging, moving together and laughing for the first time in a long row of sad days. Finally he pulled her close and slid his arm around her waist. Hermione leaned her head on Harrys shoulder, grateful for the warmth of his embrace and for one moment in perfect harmony in a world of chaos and uncertainty. They enjoyed the song and kept dancing to the next and with that the glum atmosphere vanished and they both laughed and felt a bit lighter._

 _And then, for the first time ever, Hermione and Harry stopped laughing and started noticing how close they were standing. This was one of those moments when light-heartedness suddenly vanished and was replaced by a kind of tension that made your stomach flutter and your cheeks hot. A kind of tension that made you forget that the guy in front of you was actually your best friend._

 _Hermione couldn't say if they stood like that for a minute or an hour, she just knew that her heart started racing, that she could smell Harry's aftershave and see the golden dots in his green eyes. And that for the first time she noticed clearly that he was no longer the sweet 11-year old boy in the Hogwarts Express. Harry had been through so much, it had forced him to grow up much too quickly. In front of Hermione stood no sweet little boy but a man. And he did funny things to her insides. Things she shouldn't feel. Hermiones gaze finally locked on Harrys lips. Sensual lips made for kissing. As if on cue, Ron's face appeared in front of her inner eye and Hermione took a huge step back. She saw some of her own confusion in Harrys eyes, but didn't have the courage to look more closely. She was too scared what she might find in the depths of those green eyes._

" _Thanks, I should probably go to bed now. It's late." She stammered, cursing herself for sounding so pathetic, turned around and went to the small bedroom, closing the door carefully. What the hell had just happened? It was Harry for God's sake! Was she mental? She'd just behaved like a child. He probably thought she'd finally gone mad. Hermione sighed, annoyed with herself. How should she ever look him in the eye again? He'd wanted to cheer her up, to comfort her and make her forget Ron for at least a bit. And wow he'd been successful. For the first time in years she hadn't wasted a single thought about Ron. Hermione shook her head astonished. After having fought in numerous battles and being in the middle of a war, this was probably anyway the strangest feeling she'd ever had._

 _She couldn't sleep that night. And when she woke up the next morning, Harry was still asleep. He was on the small couch, the locket around his neck, one of his arms on his stomach, the other one around his wand. Hermione felt like touching his face and burying her hand in his dark and tousled hair. She didn't do it of course. Instead she tried making coffee and when Harry woke up they both acted as if nothing strange ever happened and as if nothing had changed. But things had changed. Hermione didn't know yet how much. She started looking at Harry differently. And this was just the beginning. Without noticing, Hermione stopped being desperate about Ron's betrayal. She stopped looking for him before they disapparated to a new location and she stopped waiting for him before putting up the protection spells. And she stopped crying. Things had definitely changed._

 **Author's note:**

 **Not sure if I need to mention this, but Harry Potter and all the characters always belong to J.K.R.**

 **So this is chapter 2 of my new story and I really hope you liked it** **I got a few reviews for chapter 1 which made me really happy and I'm glad you liked the start. I hope you keep reading and look forward to the next chapter. And please keep reviewing, I really like your thoughts**

 **One of the reviews said this hopefully won't be a story where Harry and Hermione live their love secretly. I won't say a lot, just so much: there will be moments when they have to, just because breaking Ron's and Ginny's hearts when they are mourning for Fred would be just not like Harry and Hermione. And I don't want this story to end within 5 chapters, so there will be some obstacles to overcome, but I hope you enjoy their journey and have fun reading it**


	3. Chapter 3 - Plans and Hope

Accidentally in Love

Chapter 3: Plans and Hope

Hermione excused herself early after dinner and went to bed. Harry's gaze followed her until she disappeared in the bedroom she shared with Ginny. She brushed her teeth, dressed in shorts and a tank top and went to bed. She was not really tired, but there were too many thoughts in her mind. Things she hadn't really had time to properly think about. Hermione had been so sure to be in love with Ron. If anybody asked her a few months ago, she would have said no other guy could ever make her feel like Ron. Now things were differently. A lot had happened, a lot had changed.

With a sigh, Hermione closed her eyes and returned to her memories. It was like a movie that kept playing in her head and she wasn't strong enough to stop it. Probably because she didn't really want to…

 _Harry kept telling Hermione they had to go to Godric's Hollow and she kept telling him that it was dangerous. They had the same conversation again and again and a certain routine creeped in. They left every location within 24 hours and every evening they would listen to music in the radio and put the locket aside at least for 2 hours. Besides they'd decided to sleep in the living room of the small tent. Hermione would lie on the couch, while Harry slept on a mattress on the floor. They both couldn't sleep and keeping watch was just pointless. The protection spells worked. Besides it was deepest winter and just too cold. They were freezing their asses off… Hermione felt safer with Harry next to her._

 _It was strange at first. Hermione had never spend a night with Harry alone in the same room, Ron had always been with them. Especially after that fateful dance, Hermione first felt uncomfortable lying so close to him, even though she was on the couch and he on the floor. But Harry, being attentive and sensitive started talking to her before they slept and like that she got used to him being close and it didn't feel awkward any longer. Instead it began feeling good and safe and she was glad to know he was close_.

 _Days passed like this and there were moments when Hermione thought they should just keep living like that. Forget about the war and the responsibility they carried and just get old and enjoy life in the wild. Suddenly she didn't feel like it would be a terrible fate. Harry smiled genuinely when she mentioned it to him and for a split second that tension came back and she blushed. Harry didn't mention it and Hermione was grateful. He just knew when to shut up. Clever guy._

 _It was an exceptionally cold winter evening and even though they had a fire going, Hermione was freezing. She put on as many clothes as possible to feel comfortable, but she couldn't stop shaking. She was lying in the dark, teeth clattering, trying to somehow fall asleep, but she couldn't. Harry wasn't sleeping either, she could tell because of his way of breathing._

" _Mione, move your ass over here." Harry suddenly said and Hermiones cheeks turned crimson. She was glad he couldn't see it in the dark._

" _What?" she croaked, hating that her voice sounded so high._

 _Harry chuckled low. "I said come over here, otherwise I fear you might turn into an ice cube. I'm fully dressed, don't be shy." He teased and Hermione took a deep breath._

 _If she didn't do as proposed, Harry would think she was either prude or that she was uncomfortable being close to him. Which was true, but only because he could make her feel in a way that didn't feel appropriate. But he was right, she would never be able to sleep like this and they were both dressed, so why acting silly? Besides, it was not as if Ron would have cared… He'd left. He could have been the one to warm her, but he'd decided to be an idiot._

 _Without saying much more, Hermione slid on the mattress next to the couch and was soon enveloped into a warm embrace. After nearly freezing she now felt blissfully warm. Harry held her close, but tried to anyway keep his distance. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable and Hermione felt touched. How could a guy be so considerate? After spending years watching Ron, she'd never really noticed how much she missed being treated like someone precious. It did funny things to her heart._

" _Better?" Harry finally whispered and she nodded, feeling warm and safe._

" _Much better." She said low and he relaxed, lying on his back._

" _Sweet dreams, Hermione." Harry said and she closed her eyes, for the first time in weeks feeling like everything was good._

 _ooooo_

 _Hermione slept as if she was in a luxury hotel room and not on some cheap mattress in the middle of a forest. When she woke up, she noticed two things: First, Harry was still sleeping. Second, she was lying on top of him. It was a bright morning and Hermione lay on Harry's chest, her arm circled around his waist, her leg entangled with his. She blushed deeply and tried to move away, but Harry turned towards her, pulling her close and burying his nose in her hair. She could feel his breath, feel the steady beat of his heart and his warm arm around her. She'd never been this close to a guy. Even though they were fully dressed, Hermione felt as if her skin was burning wherever their bodies touched._

 _She'd always considered herself mostly immune to the hormone-driven feelings of a teenager, but now she had to admit to herself, that she was just as girly as Parvati or Lavender when it came to closeness. Hermione couldn't remember that she'd ever felt like that, not even when Ron was saying her name in the infirmary after being poisoned or when Viktor asked her to the Yule Ball. This was entirely different, and she couldn't help asking herself why. Why was Harry of all guys the one who could make her feel so unsteady? Was it because he was off limits? Hermione shook her head. It wasn't that simple._

 _She didn't want to think about it any longer, so she just relaxed, enjoyed the warmth and closeness of Harry's body and tried not to judge herself, even though a wave of guilt hit her._

" _So you're choosing him?" Ron's voice resonated in her head and Hermione sighed. Stupid, stupid Ron. He hadn't trusted her a bit. And there she was, lying in Harry's arms, feeling as if Ron had somehow been right not to trust her. She didn't want to deepen that thought, because it made her feel uncomfortable._

 _Harry was nice. He'd been attentive and sweet and they didn't do anything inappropriate. They were friends, best friends, all alone on a dangerous mission. It was natural to get closer. And now that Ron was gone, Hermione had noticed that she'd been holding back a lot for his sake. She'd known Ron was somehow jealous of Harry and being considerate of his feelings, she'd kept a certain distance. But then he left. He didn't consider her feelings. He didn't care what it meant for her when he left her behind. What it did to the beginning of their relationship. The only thing Ron Weasley had cared about was himself. Like always. And with that, the pang of guilt vanished and Hermione took a deep breath._

" _Good morning." Harry suddenly whispered in a raspy voice, laced with sleep and Hermiones heart jumped at the sound, afraid he might know what she'd been thinking._

" _Good morning." She finally said low, trying to get a bit of distance._

 _Harry stood up slowly, yawning._

" _Still feeling cold?" he asked and Hermione saw a sparkle in his eyes she'd never seen before. She blushed, trying to finger-comb her hair._

" _No, much better. Thanks."_

" _I'll make some coffee." Harry said, and walked into the tiny kitchen. Hermione shook her head. She was acting strangely. She had to get a grip on herself._

 _The day passed as usual and the tension between them turned into the same pleasant companionship like before. Even though Hermione had to admit that she kept looking at Harry in a way that went beyond friendship. She told herself that it was because of all the things they'd been through together. They were more than friends, simply because they shared a situation that went far beyond everything that you normally witnessed in a friendship. Harry was like her brother. He was family. She loved him deeply, in a familiar way._

" _Hermione, we need to go to Godric's Hollow." Harry started again and Hermione sighed. She closed the storybook she'd received from Dumbledore and looked at Harry sitting in front of her._

" _Ok." She finally said and Harry looked at her surprised. She sighed again. "We don't have another lead and we need to do something, so I guess going to Godric's Hollow makes sense. But this has to be planned properly, Harry. We need to be very careful. I'm sure we'll face trouble in Godric's Hollow. It would be stupid of You-Know-Who not to post any guards there. He knows that you will want to visit your parents graves."_

 _Harry nodded, totally hooked. "We go to visit Bathilda Bagshot. I'm sure she can help. I need to know more about Dumbledore, more about his past. And maybe she can tell us where the sword is."_

 _Hermione smiled knowingly at Harry and a soft blush crept into his cheeks._

" _It's ok to want to visit your parents, Harry. You've been waiting long enough to do so. We just have to be careful."_

 _Harry nodded again and took her hand. He gave it a grateful squeeze and they both started planning. It was so much easier discussing with Harry than with Ron. He was open to all kinds of suggestions and motivated. Even though he wore the locket most of the time, he never gave into it. Hermione was grateful to be spared with constant mood swings._

 _They talked and planned the whole day and the next and the day after. They were able to get some hair from a muggle couple in a small town and Hermione still had some Polyjuice Potion left. They needed to get all the protection possible, which meant they would travel in disguise and also using the Invisibility Cloak. It was still risky, but Hermione knew that Harry wouldn't be able to go on before they'd checked out Godric's Hollow. She still had a strange feeling about it, though._

ooooo

The next morning started sunny and warm and Harry was glad to know that the funerals were over. It was finally time to go on with life. He needed to set things straight. Make plans for his future. Find his own way. He just didn't really know how to start.

Ron was still sleeping, so he left the bedroom and went downstairs. Mrs. Weasley was busy in the kitchen, for the first time in 2 weeks, her eyes were not swollen from crying. Harry took it as a good sign.

He helped her around the house and was just about to set the breakfast table, when Hermione entered the kitchen. She wore her favourite jeans and a white shirt, her hair falling open on her shoulders. She gave him one of her small smiles and he grinned back, lost in memories and consumed by feelings that weren't appropriate in Mrs. Weasley's presence.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Harry finally asked and Hermione nodded surprised, biting her lip. So she was nervous.

They went outside to the back of the garden and finally stood in front of each other. Hermione looked at him expectantly and Harry took a deep breath.

"I want us to be together. I mean like really together." Harry started and Hermiones eyes widened in surprise.

"Harry…" She started, but he made a step towards her and took her hands, which made her shut up.

"I know it's going to be difficult. I know we will have to talk to Ron and Ginny and they will probably be mad. Like really mad. And I know it's probably crazy but I can't imagine life without you. I've thought about this the whole time and I want to try it out. Let's give it a chance. Let's give us a chance. We will talk to Ron and Ginny and then we'll leave for Australia to get your parents back. And when summer is over, we'll know if this was just a phase and a crazy dream or if it's more."

Harry could see in Hermiones eyes that his words did all kinds of things to her. So many different feelings showed on her face that he wasn't sure what she'd say.

"I want us to be together as well." She finally whispered and Harry felt as if a huge rock had been lifted off his chest.

He pulled her close and sealed her lips with a kiss. A soft and promising kiss that took their breath away. Suddenly the future looked bright. Even though he knew that it would be hard to talk to Ron and Ginny, he felt much stronger now holding Hermiones hand. They could do everything together.

 **Author's note:**

 **Thank you so much for your reviews and for reading the story. This is now chapter 3 and I hope you like it** **I have to admit that I'm not sure how to go on with the story yet. Either Harry and Hermione will really leave together for the summer or I will have something happen that prevents them from being together for the present. Either way I really hope you like the story so far and if you have ideas, wishes and requests, please let me know** **I always try to consider my reader's wishes**


	4. Chapter 4 - In your Arms

Accidentally in Love

Chapter 4: In your Arms

Harry couldn't believe how hard it was to find a good time for the inevitable talk he had to have with Ginny. Every time he started saying something, she seemed to vanish or someone came barging in on them. It was as if Ginny knew what was about to come and as if she didn't want to hear it. And according to Hermione's gaze and the slight shake of her head, he guessed she hadn't been much more successful than him. He was lying in bed, Ron already snoring and felt frustrated. He'd tried to talk to Ron at least, but he'd played dumb and pretended to be sleeping. Harry had a feeling that both, Ron and Ginny already knew what was going on and that they just didn't want to face it. Harry couldn't even blame them.

He still wanted to tell the whole world about him and Hermione, but he also didn't want to be insensitive. The Weasley's had done a lot for him. Over the years, Ron and everybody else had become a second family for Harry. During the war, they had always believed in him and had suffered great losses. He wouldn't be here without them. Literally…

So naturally it didn't feel right to hurt those people he cared so much about. And even though he hated hurting Ginny, he was much more worried about Ron. Ron had been his best friend since 1. grade. He'd always been by Harry's side, always helping him out, always being more like a brother. Yes they had been fighting. And yes, sometimes Ron could be a dick. Especially the way he used to treat Hermione. But for Harry, Ron had mostly been a loyal friend. Until the day he left them in that forest. But he'd come back. He'd saved Harry's life and apologized and even though Harry was still disappointed that he'd left in the first place, he also knew that without Ron he wouldn't have been able to do it all.

And he knew something Hermione had never witnessed herself. He knew Ron's greatest fear. The fear of Hermione choosing Harry over him. Harry couldn't forget the locket and what it had shown. He'd told Hermione afterwards, but it was still different to see it. To witness Ron's reaction. To feel what he felt. That was the worst thing about his feelings for Hermione. The fact that their love would most probably break Ron. It was something Harry had never wanted to do to his best friend. But when it came to Hermione, Harry couldn't hold back. When it came to her, he would give up everything, his life, his soul, his very being. And he was also ready to sacrifice his friendship with Ron. It was heartless and maybe crazy and probably he'd regret it in one way or another, but he just couldn't live without her. He needed Hermione. He needed her to care about him. He needed her so much it hurt. The price to pay was high, but it was worth it. She was worth it.

ooooo

 _Something didn't feel right. That was what Harry had been thinking, right before hell broke loose. They'd went to Godric's Hollow and finally visited the graves of Harry's parents. Hermione had conjured flowers, which was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen her do, even though she wasn't in her own body. It could have been peaceful. But then Bathilda Baghot appeared and asked them to follow her to her house. Harry was sure she had something to give him. Gryffindor's sword probably. He had been excited and reckless and ignored Hermiones constant reminders that she had a bad feeling about it all._

 _She'd been right of course. Like always. One moment he stood in front of Bathilda Bagshot, the next a huge snake broke out of her skin and attacked him. And then Harry felt Voldemort. He felt him coming. It all went too fast, they weren't prepared. It was just a matter of seconds until they would be caught. Caught and killed. But Hermione was reliable. She saved them. It was close, just seconds before Voldermort arrived, but they'd done it. They'd escaped. Again._

 _It took a while for Harry to notice because they were lying on top of each other in another cold forest and Hermione was totally out of it, while Harry's scar hurt so much, he felt like either puking or losing consciousness. He didn't know which was better. Finally everything around him turned dark and he just heard Hermione's voice calling his name. He wanted to reply, wanted to tell her he was fine, but he couldn't. He fell into darkness._

 _ooooo_

 _When Harry woke up, it was dark outside. He was lying on the mattress in the tent, the whole place only illuminated by the soft glow of one of Hermione's moving flames. His head hurt like crazy, but at least he was alive. They were safe. He felt guilty for dragging them to Godric's Hollow in the first place. Guilty and frustrated. They'd risked their lives for nothing. The sword hadn't been there and they nearly died. But then he thought about Hermione conjuring the flowers and suddenly he felt as if it hadn't been totally in vain. He'd been close to his parents. And she'd been there to hold his hand. He was grateful and worried about her, so he rose slowly, trying to get rid of the dizzy feeling in his head, and went outside._

 _Hermione was sitting on the cold floor in front of a small, blue fire. She was reading in a book, her face red from the cold._

" _Hey." Harry said low and sat down next to her._

 _She looked up relieved and put the book aside immediately._

" _You're up. Thank God. How are you?" she asked softly and Harry blushed. He'd fainted in front of her. Again._

" _Much better, thanks. Mione, I'm so sorry. You've been right all along, we shouldn't have gone to Godric's Hollow."_

 _Hermione shook her head._

" _In a way it was good Harry. You had to see for yourself. And at least we know now, that the storybook might have something to do with the Peverell's. Besides, look what I found in Bathilda Bagshot's house."_

 _She let him have a look at the book she'd been reading in and Harry's eyes widened in surprise. It was Rita Skeeter's biography of Dumbledore._

" _I thought, maybe you want to read it. Even though it's as terrible as expected. She tried to bash Dumbledore wherever possible. I hope you won't take her words too seriously once you read this…"_

 _The worried way Hermione looked at Harry made him feel caught. She knew him so well. She knew he had started to doubt Dumbledore and his motives. That he felt frustrated and overwhelmed by the huge task his old mentor had given them. Harry and Hermione had nearly died. Again. Just because they hadn't gotten enough information upfront. Dumbledore could have made everything so much easier. But he hadn't. He'd left and now Harry was facing a nearly impossible task. And nobody cared how the hell he was supposed to measure up to everyone's expectations. He looked up into Hermione's soft, brown eyes. No, he was wrong. There was someone who cared. She'd saved them. Again and again. And even though Ron left, she was still there, looking at him understanding, travelling from forest to forest just to try and help him survive._

 _She'd abandoned her family, her life, her education, which meant pretty much everything to her, just to be with him. Just to fight by his side. Fearless. Reckless. Brilliant. He would be lost without her and she had to know. And still there she was, buried in a thick blanket, her dark hair braided, her cheeks red from the cold, looking at him with trust and hope and affection. Even though he was the reason she was in danger, every day of her life. Harry's heart felt as if it was about to explode. She was his only friend. The only one who'd never left him. The only one who'd helped him through everything, all those years. It was crazy, that he'd never seen it. That he'd been too consumed by himself and his problems to notice what kind of treasure was sitting right in front of him._

 _Without thinking any further or planning or finding the right words to say what he felt, Harry did the only thing that made sense to him in that very moment. He leaned forward and kissed Hermione. She froze in surprise, but didn't withdraw. Harry took that as permission and deepened the kiss. It should have felt strange. He'd always imagined it to feel like kissing his sister. He'd been wrong. Kissing Hermione felt like flying on a broom, high above in the sky. It felt like lying in front of a cozy fire in winter, like eating freshly baked cookies. Her lips were perfect, soft and tender and sweet as chocolate. And suddenly his stomach fluttered, his heart started racing and he felt like he'd die that very moment if he had to stop kissing her. His hand moved up to her neck, his other hand pulling her closer._

 _Harry couldn't tell when they started losing control of the situation. He hadn't really meant to start anything that crazy, but once he did, he couldn't stop. And to his surprise, Hermione responded in a way that went beyond his wildest imagination. He'd never felt anything similar with Ginny, not to mention Cho. It went so far, that Hermione finally sat on his lap, her hands around his neck, their bodies pressed together so tight, that she could most probably feel how hot she'd made him._

 _It was so surreal, that Harry expected to wake up any minute. But it wasn't a dream. Kissing Hermione and holding her in his arms was probably the realest thing he'd ever felt and done. They'd been so close to death. Again and again Harry felt as if it was just a question of time until he wouldn't be able to get out of one of those situations and then his life would end in a green flash. Just like his parents' life had ended. He didn't want to die. And hearing his heart pound in his chest, he felt more alive than ever before._

" _I thought you were dead." Hermione suddenly said breathless, putting a certain distance between them. She had tears in her eyes. "When you lost consciousness, I was scared you wouldn't wake up. I was scared you'd leave me alone. I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving me as well. Sorry, I know I'm rambling and I'm being silly, I just feel…" she stammered and Harry finally kissed her lips lightly and made her shut up._

" _I know. Mione…, I know. I'm sorry." He finally said and she relaxed in his arms, her eyes shining and her cheeks rosy. "It's cold, let's go back inside." Harry asked and they both stood up slowly and went inside._

 _Harry didn't really know what to say, he'd practically jumped Hermione and felt overwhelmed by what had happened. And he was pretty sure she felt the same way. They were both standing in the small living room of their tent, tentatively watching each other as if it was for the first time. And it probably was. Harry felt as if he'd been blind all those years and now he finally saw clear. But there was so much standing between them, mainly a certain redhead, or better two. And still, Harry needed her to know. It felt essential to him, that she didn't misunderstand him._

" _Mione, I didn't kiss you because we nearly died. I have wanted to kiss you. I just didn't really know until now." Harry finally admitted, surprised about his own courage._

 _Hermione had tears in her eyes again. She opened her mouth to say something, but Harry didn't want to hear it. He knew. So he stopped her by taking her hand._

" _Don't. Please. I know. I really do. Just, let's go to bed, ok? It's late." He said low and Hermione nodded._

 _They both took off their jackets and went to bed, Hermione on the couch, Harry on the mattress on the floor. Harry had never felt so confused and at the same time so clear._

" _Where's my wand?" he finally asked when he couldn't find it. He noticed Hermione tensing in the light of the blue flames she'd conjured. She sat up, now really crying._

" _Harry, I'm so sorry. When Nagini attacked us, I used a spell and it fired back. I guess it broke your wand. There are only pieces left. I'm so sorry." She sobbed and Harry took a deep breath. It wasn't her fault. He knew. She'd saved them. If it wasn't for Hermione, they would have been dead. Still, losing his wand was hard on Harry. He'd always felt like it was more than just a wand, more like a friend. His wand had been able to protect him from Voldemort. He felt naked and weak without it and he noticed only now how much he'd relied on his wand to protect him when he himself couldn't._

 _He sighed and Hermione still cried softly. He took her arm and pulled her down on the mattress which made her squeal in surprise. "It's ok, it's not your fault. Stop crying. You saved us, I'm grateful we're both alive. Don't worry. We will share your wand. It's ok. Will you stop crying already…" he said softly but she couldn't. She'd obviously been scared to tell him about the wand and was both relieved and sad and probably confused._

" _Mione, stop crying, or I'm going to kiss you again." He threatened smiling and she looked at him surprised. And then she was the one surprising him, because she lifted up on her elbow and put her lips on his. Harry moaned, burying his hand in her long hair. And with that the passion that had built up with that first kiss suddenly flashed up again and Harry lost himself in the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, the feeling of her hands on his chest. He didn't feel cold or worried or defenceless any longer. He felt strong and warm and he was turned on like hell when she straddled him and they kept kissing like it would kill them if they stopped now._

 _Hermione finally leaned back slowly, taking off the locket around her neck. She put it aside without breaking eye contact with Harry. And the she suddenly started taking off her sweater slowly and Harry's breath hitched. His head felt light he was trembling. She was so beautiful in just her blue bra and that incredible look in her eyes. Hermione shivered under his gaze but she seemed to like it. Finally she put her hand on his cheek, her face so close to his, he could see every single golden dot in her amber eyes._

" _If we die tomorrow, I don't want to go as a virgin." She said low and blushed so deeply, Harry could practically feel the heat radiating off of her._

 _His breath hitched again and his heart raced. "I don't want to hurt you." He finally croaked, feeling terrified and at the same time thrilled by the thought of really going on with what she'd started._

" _You won't." Hermione just said and with that she kissed him and made him forget any doubts or fears or prophecies or responsibilities or whatever it was that kept him unhappy and worried. And in the end, when he was lying on top of her, her slender body so close to his, he could feel every of her heartbeats, he_ _ **did**_ _hurt her. Even though he was being soft and tender. But she didn't even seem to mind. And she didn't want him to stop. And Harry had to admit, he wasn't even sure he could have stopped. Never before had anybody else ever made him feel like that. If he died soon, he hoped it could be in Hermione's arms._

 **Author's note:**

 **Thank you so much for all those reviews** **I've been so happy about every single one of them! Thank you for your ideas and inspirations and your wishes, I have read everything carefully. I really hope you like chapter 4. I first wanted to describe the last scene much more detailed, but in the end it didn't feel right. There will be more detailed scenes in the following chapters, but for their special first time, I wanted it to be like this. Less is sometimes more**

 **I want to say one more thing about myself and also about the story. This will not be a Ron or Ginny bashing story. I love every single character JKR has invented and Ron and Ginny are part of it. I think Hermione and Harry should have been the main couple, but Ron is a great character and Ginny as well. I want to write a story that does justice to everything they both stand for. And I hope I will be able to avoid them being too much out of character, because I think like this the story will feel more real. I hope you all nevertheless enjoy it**


	5. Chapter 5 - Perfectly Imperfect

Accidentally in Love

Chapter 5: Perfectly Imperfect

It was already after midnight when Hermione woke up from a lively dream of Voldemort killing Harry. Her heart was racing and she first didn't know where she was, but then she noticed the familiar room in the Burrow and sank back into her pillows sighing. It would take some time to really understand that the war was over. The terror she'd witnessed couldn't be that easily forgotten.

"Bad dream?" Ginny suddenly whispered and Hermione noticed by the sound of her voice that she hadn't been sleeping.

"Yes. Sorry, I didn't want to wake you." Hermione just said and was glad that Ginny didn't ask her what she'd dreamed about.

"Don't worry, I couldn't sleep anyway." Ginny said low, a strange ring in her voice.

Hermione didn't know what to say, so she just shut up. There were millions of reasons why Ginny probably couldn't sleep and she knew the redhead would tell her if she really felt like talking about it. And she did…

"You said his name. Harry's. In your sleep." Ginny finally whispered, her voice lacking emotion as if she was trying hard not to give away any of her feelings while saying so.

Hermione's heart kept racing and she closed her eyes devoted.

"I dreamed that he was dying. Voldemort killed him. Again." She finally explained, wondering if Ginny would say anything more about it.

"I figured that much. He wouldn't have made it without you. And I don't think I ever really thanked you. For helping him out, I mean. You are very special to him." Ginny said honestly and Hermione wanted to bury her head in her pillow and pretend she'd never been awake in the first place. This was by far the most unpleasant conversation she'd ever had with Ginny. It felt as if she had just stabbed Hermione with a knife in the heart and twisted it to make sure it hurt enough.

"We helped each other. You don't have to thank me. Not at all. He is my best friend after all." Hermione said, trying to sound cheerful. She failed.

"I know. Will you go looking for your parents soon? What are you going to do afterwards? Will you join Ron and Harry in the Auror department? Kingsley said you wouldn't need to graduate…"

"Yes. I want to go in the next days to be honest. I miss my parents and I want to spend some time with them in Australia. I need a break. And then I will go back to Hogwarts. I don't like the thought of not finishing school properly. I will finish school and think about what I want to do afterwards. Besides, I never really felt like wanting to be an Auror. It's perfect for Harry, but for me… I want to work on other things. We'll see…" Hermione said, relieved to be able to talk about something else than being such a good friend to Harry.

"Sounds like a good plan. Will you ask Ron to come with you? To Australia I mean." Ginny asked and Hermione suddenly knew for sure that Ginny didn't believe for one second that Hermione would ask Ron to accompany her. The redhead was playing with her.

"What do you think?" She asked low, wondering how this conversation would finally end. There were not many options if she was being honest.

Ginny snorted. "I think you have ended things with Ron a while ago. I also think your heart belongs to someone else. In fact, to be honest, I think it always belonged to him. You just couldn't show." Ginny said and there was no accusation in her voice or contempt, in fact she sounded resigned.

Hermione didn't know what to say. She felt terrible and at the same time relieved. And honestly, what was there to say? Ginny knew and she was right. With everything she'd said.

"Ginny…" Hermione started, not really sure how to explain or apologize or what to say to make this whole conversation less painful, but she didn't have to, because Ginny interrupted her before she could say anything at all.

"I understand. You probably won't believe it, but I do. I'm not the problem here. Harry and I… we broke up long ago. He didn't ask me to wait for him. He didn't tell me we'd be together when he was finally back. I hoped for it. Longed for it. And part of me expected it, to be honest. But I understand. You've been through a lot. And nobody was ever closer to him than you. There were times when I was jealous. There was always this strange kind of intimacy between you. The way you exchanged glances, the way he talked about you. He didn't know of course. I mean he's a guy. Guys are dense when it comes to these kinds of things… But I have spent years watching Harry. Listening to what he was saying. The only times when he really relaxed and let loose was when he was around you. I guess it was only a matter of time. But as I already said, I'm not the problem here. The problem is Ron…" Ginny whispered and Hermione noticed that this was actually the topic she wanted to talk about. Not Harry but Ron.

"Ginny…" Hermione started, but again Ginny didn't let her finish her sentence.

"Mione, Ron is in love with you. Like head over heels in love with you. And I guess he could somehow cope with you choosing someone else. But you choosing Harry is like his worst nightmare come true. He won't accept it. He won't understand. I'm just saying… don't expect this to turn out into a group hugging and making up session. Ron is stubborn and he does care for you a lot. And worst of all is that he also cares for Harry. In the end, choosing Harry means losing Ron. I think deep down you already know that. I think for you it will be manageable. But will it also be for Harry? Ron is like a brother to him. He's his best friend, they know each other since first grade. It would tear Harry apart. Maybe not right away, but slowly. If you would have chosen Ron, Harry would still be part of your life. You know that he wouldn't give up on your friendship, even if you would be with his best friend. Harry is different than Ron. He's more… sensitive. Mature. Understanding. Probably because of all the things he's been through. I don't want to tell you what to do. I also don't want to change your mind with what I'm saying to you right now. I just want you to see the whole picture."

Hermione didn't say anything in return. She couldn't. Part of her was speechless, the other part was frustrated and angry and one tiny little spark inside of her knew that Ginny was right. Being with Harry meant losing Ron as a friend. And not only for her, for Harry as well. Sure, Ron hadn't always been a great friend. But he was like family for Harry. Would he one day wake up and regret deciding to be with Hermione and giving up Ron's friendship? And would he hold her responsible for losing his best friend?

"Did you sleep with him?" Ginny suddenly asked, her voice for the first time tensed.

Hermione bit her lip and thought about lying. She couldn't. Ginny had been fair. Fair and honest. It didn't feel right to lie to her now.

"I'm sorry Gin." Hermione just said. The redhead didn't reply. She just turned around and pretended to sleep. But Hermione could hear her sobbing. In the end, both girls cried silently, lost in their own thoughts, before they finally fell asleep.

ooooo

 _Hermione woke up the next morning and felt Harry's breath in her neck. He had his arm around her waist and her back was pressed against his chest. It felt warm and comfortable and for a moment everything was just right. She thought of everything they'd done the night before and blushed. She'd slept with Harry. Holy crap, she'd really done it. It had felt so right and perfect last night but now in the morning, she started having doubts. Harry had always been her best friend. Just a friend. Like a brother. But even while trying to tell herself that she'd never seen more in him, Hermione didn't buy it herself. Harry had always been special. From the first moment on, he'd been someone who had been able to impress her. To surprise her. To make her feel appreciated and cherished._

 _He'd saved her life, countless times. He'd stood up for her when Malfoy and his idiotic friends bullied her. He'd talked to her when Ron had been stupid enough to think her cat would have killed that ugly rat of his. Throughout the years, Harry had been like an anchor, holding her in place, taking care of her. He'd made her feel special. He wasn't surprised when she dated Krum and appeared at the Yule Ball. He'd looked at her as if he'd always known that she was pretty. He'd kept her grounded. Hermione knew that he'd always seen her as a friend only. As a sister maybe. She'd accepted that someone like Harry would never be interested in her in another way than friendship. So she'd settled for Ron. She didn't plan it. It just happened. Ron was cute and he did care for Hermione, even though he was too childish to properly show it. Hermione thought being with Ron while being Harry's best friend was what she really wanted. She'd been wrong. And now that she was lying naked in Harry's arms, she could finally admit it. She'd always had deeper feelings for Harry. She just hadn't allowed herself to see it._

 _Hermione thought about last night and smiled. He'd been so careful. So tender and sweet. And she'd enjoyed every moment. Even falling asleep next to him had been perfect. But even greater was the feeling of his lips on her skin in the middle of the night. And while the first time had hurt, the second hadn't. He'd loved her in a way that made her melt in his arms. And Hermione kept wondering if Harry actually had already done this. If he had already slept with Ginny. Because honestly, he was just too good to be a virgin. They spend the whole night like that. Making love, falling asleep, just to wake up and start again. If Hermione hadn't known that magic existed, this night would have finally made her believe it._

 _She didn't know how long they actually slept, but it was bright daylight outside and Hermione knew that they needed to move in order to be really save. So she tried carefully to release herself from Harry's grip, but she didn't stand a chance. He just pulled her closer._

" _Don't." he whispered husky and she sighed in response, which sounded more like a moan._

" _We need to leave…" she protested softly, trying to be reasonable, but he didn't seem to care._

 _Instead Harry started caressing her, his lips leaving burning traces on her neck, while his hands slid softly from her waist down to her hip and her thigh just to finally pinch her butt. Hermione squealed and he started laughing. She slapped his hand but Harry didn't care at all, because suddenly his hip was pressed against her backside and she could feel clearly that he was more than ready to continue what they'd stopped doing last night. And even though Hermione felt sore and it was broad daylight, she couldn't resist._

 _They left the small little forest much later than intended and when they did, Hermione knew that she would try her best to one day come back to this place._

 _ooooo_

 _They set up the tent in another forest and by the time they were ready, it was already getting dark. They didn't talk about the future. They didn't make plans to search for the Horcruxes. Instead they just grabbed some eggs from a nearby farm for dinner and went to bed early afterwards. They were lying next to each other, holding hands and talking._

 _Harry told her about his life with the Dursleys. He told funny and sad stories, while Hermione told him about her parents and her childhood. They didn't want to talk about anything too serious. The mood was light and pleasant and they wanted to keep it like that as long as possible. They both tried to flee from reality, at least for a while. It was perfectly imperfect._

" _Do you think you will ever miss your aunt and uncle?" Hermione asked curious and Harry snorted. He caressed her hair and looked up at the dirty ceiling of the little tent._

" _No. They didn't care for me. Never. I mean, Dudley was surprisingly kind when they left. In the end, he seemed to be at least grateful that I saved him from the Dementors. I think, if my aunt and uncle would have been different, maybe we could have been friends. Well or at least tolerated each other. Friends would be too much to say… I guess you and Ron were the first friends I ever made…"_

 _Harry stopped talking, as if he'd noticed that he'd said Ron's name. Hermione bit her lip. She knew what he was thinking and she didn't like it, but she understood._

" _Sorry…" he whispered and she shook her head. He was right. Ron had been their best friend. And by being together, they betrayed him somehow._

" _Do you regret it?" Harry asked low and if Hermione didn't know him that well she wouldn't have noted the tension in his voice._

" _Not a single moment." She replied honestly and felt the tension melt away as his body relaxed next to hers. "Do you?" she asked low, scared she might not get the reply she wanted._

" _Mione, I might be dead tomorrow. Even if I'm not, I don't know how long I will make it. My life expectancy is not really high. I have to live life at its fullest. And that's what I'm doing. Maybe this is a beautiful dream and I will wake up soon and discover that everything goes to hell. But if that happens, I at least made the best out of it. I don't regret anything. How could anyone ever regret kissing those lips?" he whispered and pressed his lips softly on hers. And with that the discussion ended and they let their bodies say all the things they couldn't express differently._

 _ooooo_

 _When Hermione woke up the next morning, she heard voices in front of the tent. Harry was no longer next to her, so she got up quickly, dressed and went to have a look outside. Her heart was racing and she didn't even know why. Her subconscious had probably already grasped what her sleepy mind couldn't admit yet._

 _She stepped outside the tent and what she saw made her stop in her tracks. Harry was soaking wet. He was holding the locket in one hand and Gryffindor's sword in the other. His green eyes were set on her face with an expression that made her want to go back to sleep and pretend this was not really happening. Her heart stopped racing and for a moment she felt as if it had stopped beating at all. Helplessness and confusion settled in the pit of her stomach and Hermione put her arms around herself protectively. She was suddenly freezing. Finally she turned her gaze to the guy standing next to Harry._

 _Familiar blue eyes looked back at her expectantly. She didn't breathe. This couldn't be true. Not now. Not him. Not yet._

" _I'm back…" Ron said low, his eyes full of hope, while Hermione felt that the dream had officially ended and everything was about to go to hell sooner than expected._

 **Author's note:**

 **Finally here comes chapter 5** **I really hope you like it. Thanks again for all the reviews and ideas and the support. It makes me happy and it's really fun to write this story. I hope you still enjoy it and look forward to the next chapter. I will try to update regularly and hope to get some more reviews and input from you guys.**


	6. Chapter 6 - When you're gone

**Accidentally in Love**

 **Chapter 6: When you're gone…**

 _Hermione didn't know what to say. She was speechless. It didn't happen often and she knew her face was probably showing all kinds of emotions, but she couldn't help it. In the end, fury was the emotion that overwhelmed everything else. She went towards Ron and slapped him so hard, her hand was throbbing from pain. He looked at her utterly shocked, just whispering her name. But Hermione didn't care, if she'd have had her wand, she'd have probably cursed him to make sure he experienced enough pain. Instead she exchanged a deep glance with Harry, turned around and went back into the tent._

 _How dared he? He'd left, just like that, leaving them both on their own. They could have died, could have been captured and he hadn't cared. And now he was back, just like that, expecting to see her throw her arms around him as if nothing happened. Idiot. Jerk. Stupid brat. Hermione was so angry, she didn't even notice that Harry had entered the tiny bedroom she'd chosen to hide in._

 _He didn't say anything, he just stood there, his clothes and hair still wet and looked at her with those bright eyes, waiting for her to calm down and talk to him. And seeing him like that made her finally stop in her anxious pace and look at him, tears welling up in her eyes. With two steps Harry was next to her and held her in his arms and with that the anger and frustration disappeared and the only thing Hermione felt was resignation._

 _With a deep breath she made a step back, took her wand out of Harry's pocket and started drying his clothes and hair._

" _Dying of pneumonia wouldn't be very heroic." She finally said and he smiled._

" _You ok?" Harry finally asked, his voice holding so many different feelings, that Hermione wasn't sure what he was actually referring to. Probably the whole mess they were in._

 _She nodded. "What happened?"_

 _Harry told her about the doe and the sword in the lake and how Ron had saved him. Hermione listened carefully and shook her head._

" _You could have died. And I would have woken up without you and finally found your dead body in a pond. I should have slapped you as well. What the hell have you been thinking?" she asked confused, terrified by the thought of nearly losing him._

 _Harry sighed. "I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep and honestly, I haven't really been thinking much… I promise to be more careful from now on."_

 _Hermione snorted, but couldn't bring herself to be angry with him. He was alive. Safe. And the locket was destroyed. All thanks to Ron. She didn't like that at all, but there was not much she could do about it._

" _Was it hard to destroy the locket?" Hermione finally asked and there was a very strange shadow in Harry's eyes. Finally he just nodded and she decided to ask him again later. He definitely hadn't told her everything. And he kept a certain distance, as if he didn't want to get too close to her. It didn't feel right. As if everything that had happened the last days was forgotten. Hermione wanted to throw herself in his arms. She wanted him to hold her, to promise that nothing had changed, that he still cared for her. But she didn't. In the end, they both left the tiny bedroom and joined Ron in the living room of their little tent. He was sitting at the wooden table, lost in his own thoughts. His cheek was still red from Hermiones slap, but she didn't feel guilty. He looked at her expectantly, but she didn't say anything. She just sat down, created some of her blue flames and listened to Harry ask Ron questions about where he'd been and what he'd been doing. And all the time Hermione couldn't help thinking that she'd do anything to turn back time and be alone with Harry._

ooooo

Harry woke up early the next morning. Every night he relived the final battle again and again. He saw his friends die all over again and those red eyes tortured him whenever he turned around. But worst of all were Hermiones screams from being tortured. After a couple of hours, it was impossible to sleep any longer. He finally stood up and felt worse than before going to bed. Even taking a shower didn't help much. So he decided to go for a walk. It was a sunny morning and he enjoyed the sun on his face. But soon he knew that he wasn't alone any longer. Harry turned around and looked at Ginny.

She was pretty. With her long, red hair and a white summer dress she looked stunning. A couple of months ago, his heart would have been racing at the sight of her. Now he just felt sorry. Sorry and at the same time relieved that she was safe. One day she would find the right guy for her. He knew now that it wasn't him.

"Hey." She said smiling and Harry smiled back.

"Hey." He replied and they both grinned. But there was a strange sadness in her brown eyes that told him that she wasn't here by chance.

"Gin, I think we should talk…" Harry started, not really sure how to go on, but she just shook her head.

"I know that you're in love with Hermione." Ginny stated calmly, her expression sad but composed. He'd always liked that about her. She wasn't the crying, screaming type of woman.

"I'm sorry." Harry said low, not really sure how to go on. He wasn't good at these kinds of conversations.

Ginny shook her head again, taking a deep breath. "You don't have to be. You didn't make any promises. And I always knew that you have great feelings for Mione. I guess it was just a matter of time. However, I need to tell you something."

Harry nodded, not sure where this was going, but her next words let his heart freeze in his chest.

"Harry, Hermione left last night. She went to Australia to look for her parents. She said she needed time and space. This is for you." Ginny finally said, handing a letter to Harry. He felt like crushing the paper in his hand, but he didn't.

"Why?" he asked instead, not caring that he sounded strange even in his own ears.

"We talked last night. I guess she needs time to think about everything. She also wrote a letter to Ron. I'm not sure if he already read it…" Ginny said, frowning as if she wasn't sure which reaction to expect from Harry.

He took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Gin." He finally said, turned around and went towards the back garden. He needed to read the letter. He had to find out why she'd left without him. And he wanted to shake Ginny and ask her what she'd told Hermione to make her leave. Harry knew that his ex-girlfriend could be manipulative if she wanted to. But for Hermione to just leave without even talking to him was strange. She wasn't the kind of person to chicken out of a situation, no matter how unpleasant it might be.

Harry sat down on the half-rotten bench in the garden and opened the letter. Hermiones neat handwriting felt like a slap in his face. Somehow he hadn't really believed the letter was hers. Her words blurred before his eyes, but he forced himself to concentrate on the content, even though he felt like smashing something.

 _Harry,_

 _I'm sorry. There are actually not enough words to tell you how very sorry I am. I know that me disappearing and leaving just a stupid letter must feel like betrayal to you. Please let me explain. I never wanted to let you deal with everything on your own. And the last thing I wanted, was to leave without you. But I think it's for the best at the moment…_

 _Harry, my feelings for you haven't changed a bit. And they never will. I don't have doubts when it comes to us, I don't have fears. It's not you I was running from. I hope you can believe that much._

 _We have been friends for years. I know everything about you, just as you know everything about me. I know how alone you've been. How very much you always wanted a family. How much you treasured the friendship with Ron and how it hurt you when he was being a jerk. I have seen the two of you laughing together, joking and fooling around. You were more than friends, you were more like brothers – family. The thought that I might be the reason for this to break apart, bothers me. It bothers me in a way I can't even describe. I know that you choosing me, means losing Ron's friendship. We've both been fools to think he might accept it. We know better. You know better._

 _If you think I'm now trying to be noble and self-sacrificing, let me tell you that I'm not. My feelings for you are too strong to really let you go. And they are much too strong to give up on what I think is something special – something worth fighting for. But breaking Ron's heart and leaving with you to Australia, would destroy any chance for you to ever be friends again. It's just not the right way. It's not how our relationship should start. I know it might sound stupid, but I'm sure you understand my intentions. Nobody knows me the way you do, Harry. So please, forgive me for having made this decision without you. Even though you might not believe it, you need Ron. Just as much as he needs you._

 _I also wrote a letter to Ron, explaining I need time for myself and that I want to spend some weeks with my family. I told him, that my feelings for him are those of a good friend and that I want us to go back to where we've been. I actually said something like that already before we went to Hogwarts for the last Horcrux. It shouldn't be much of a surprise for him. Hopefully. Eventually he will see the whole picture and understand, or at least I hope so. Of course I plan to tell him the whole truth one day. But I think it's too early for him to really understand and accept it. If he doesn't, at least I can say that I tried to save our friendship. This might sound stupid to you at the moment, but it feels right to me. What we all need is some distance. I really hope it will help._

 _I will keep writing letters and hope to hear from you as well, even though you're now probably angry with me. Just don't forget, that I will miss you with every heartbeat. Forgive me for taking the "easy" way out of this. Even though I have to say that nothing was ever harder in my life than leaving you._

 _I love you._

 _Hermione_

Harry read the lines again and again. He couldn't stop. Especially her last words cut deep. She loved him. He was furious and at the same time touched. They'd never said it. Not really. They showed it, said it in other words, but those three magical words had never left their mouths. And now that she did say it, it was in a goodbye letter. Harry felt like shaking her and at the same time kissing her. And worst of all was that he actually understood. In a crazy way that didn't make any sense, he knew why Hermione had left. And why she had to do so without him. It hurt anyway. And it made him feel helpless. What was he supposed to do without her? He and Hermione hadn't been separated for months. They'd spend every single day together. Not being able to see her reading a book, playing with her hair, sleeping or just staring at the sky felt like a huge part of him was missing. How was he supposed to exist without her being close? For the first time in years Harry noticed that he was absolutely dependent on Hermione.

Finally Harry stashed the letter in one of his pockets, but he didn't move. He couldn't. After all he'd been through, Hermione leaving had hit him more than he'd have ever expected.

Harry didn't even hear the footsteps until Ron sat down next to him.

"She's gone." He said surprised, holding a letter in his hand. The bewildered expression on his face would have made Harry smile, but he didn't feel like laughing at all.

"I know." He just said.

They didn't talk much afterwards. They were just both sitting next to each other, each of them thinking of the same girl in pretty much the same way. Harry would have never thought that one day Ron and he would be in love with the same girl. But that was just what had happened. They both loved Hermione. And she was gone.

 **Author's note:**

 **Here comes finally chapter 6. I'm so sorry for the late update, the last three weeks I've been sick and felt pretty much awful, so I couldn't really enjoy writing. I hope you don't mind that much and enjoy the chapter. You will probably hate me a bit for letting Hermione leave, but I promise to hear from her very soon** **For me it felt right to give the story this kind of turn. I will try to update the next chapter very soon, so that you won't have to wait too long for it. I hope you have a good time until then. Thanks for reading and if you feel like it, leave a review**


	7. Chapter 7 - Ron's outburst

**Accidentally in Love**

 **Chapter 7: Ron's outburst**

Hermione was sitting in a plane. It was the second time in her life, to travel by plane. She hadn't really thought that she'd ever again use a plane to travel. If you could apparate by will to any place you wanted to visit, it seemed stupid to take a plane. But maybe stupid was Hermiones new second name. She hadn't felt like apparating. She hadn't felt like being in Australia in the blink of an eye. Hermione needed time. She needed distance. She needed to think. And 24 hours of travelling sounded pretty good to her. So she booked the first flight that came along and now she was sitting in an airplane, all alone, looking out of the window and thinking about everything and everyone she'd left behind.

Harry could have been next to her. He could have been holding her hand, watching a movie with her or listening to music. Harry wouldn't have complained about travelling by plane. He would have thought it was exciting. An adventure. Not like Ron. Ron who would have complained about everything from the first second on. Ron who didn't understand her.

Hermione shook her head and closed her eyes. She ignored the man in the seat next to her as well as the woman sleeping next to him. And finally she fell asleep herself, lost in strange, blurry dreams. When she woke up again it was already dark and most of the passengers were sleeping soundly. Hermione started to regret her decision. She still had 5 hours to go until the plane would stop in Singapore. Then she would have to wait 3 hours before the next flight went on to Sydney. Australia was far away. And the closer she got to Australia, the more distance she put between herself and Harry. And with every mile passing, she felt as if all of this had been a huge mistake. She hadn't been separated from Harry for months. To be all by herself now felt surreal. Surreal and not good at all. She missed him. His voice, his eyes, his touch, everything about him.

"Travelling all alone?" the guy next to her suddenly asked and startled Hermione.

She smiled and nodded. She didn't feel like talking, so she didn't say any more, but he didn't seem to care.

"Hi, I'm Brian. I'm heading to Singapore for a meeting. What about you?" he asked expectantly and Hermione sighed inwardly.

"I'm Hermione. I'm visiting my parents in Australia." She finally said politely. Brian didn't stop talking to her and even though Hermione didn't feel like making huge conversation, time passed faster and she was soon grateful for the distraction. Thinking about Harry didn't change that he was miles away. And it didn't change that they couldn't be together. At least at the moment. And even though Hermione knew, that her decision had been right, it still hurt.

ooooo

The next days passed in a blur for Harry. Being without Hermione felt strange. Strange and not pleasant at all. He missed everything about her. Most of all he missed talking to her. He'd started writing at least a hundred letters, but every single one was thrown away because he didn't really know what to say. He wanted to tell her so much, yet he wanted to look her in the eye when he did so.

Ginny was being very kind. Always around, always trying to cheer him up. She was trying hard to make him feel better and the more she tried, the harder it was for Harry to stay. He knew that she was still in love with him, that part of her was still hoping he'd change his mind and come back to her. But it was much too late for that. His heart was Hermione's. Hermione, who'd left without him.

While Harry was sad about Hermione leaving, Ron had turned into his insufferable self. Sometimes Harry wanted to check if he still wore the locket, because this Ron was so glum and tiring that Harry felt reminded of the times he'd wanted to choke him for being a brat.

The Weasley's had been surprised to hear that Hermione had left and they were even more surprised when they heard, that Harry wanted to move out and look for his own place. They were all sitting at the table after eating one of Mrs. Weasley's great meals, when Harry made his announcement. They exchanged several glances until Mr. Weasley finally spoke up.

"Harry, you know that you don't have to leave. We have enough space and we like having you around. We can continue going to the Ministry together, once you have decided to start in the Auror department. It's not a bother at all…"

Harry smiled grateful but shook his head.

"That's very kind of you and I really appreciate your hospitality, but I won't start in the Auror department. At least not yet."

Everybody looked at him surprised and Harry had to smile about their expressions. The last days he'd spend a lot of time with Kingsley in the Ministry. Harry got tons of fan letters every day, he was more popular than ever before and no matter what he said, people would do it. So he'd decided to help Kingsley develop a new kind of Ministry and a new kind of Government. People like Dolores Umbridge or Fudge were no longer involved in governmental issues and families like the Malfoys didn't have any influence in the new system. In the end, Harry had finally become the face of the Ministry. And everybody assumed that after this summer, he would start to work there and establish a promising career. But he had other plans.

"I'm going to finish my education in Hogwarts. I want to go back for my last year. Afterwards I'm going to start in the Ministry. I already talked to Kingsley about it and he agrees."

Everybody seemed to be speechless after this announcement. Everybody except Ron.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he finally asked frowning, a strange gleam in his eyes. Harry was fed up with his attitude and didn't feel like pampering his ego.

"Because you didn't listen. We've been hardly talking and you're moody as hell."

Harry and Ron locked eyes for a long moment, while Ginny kept glancing between the two of them, not sure what to say.

"I thought we both wanted to start our Auror training." Ron sulked and Harry sighed.

"I still want to be an Auror, but first I want to finish school. I want one more year of normal life before starting with the hunt all over again. I miss Hogwarts. I want to spend at least one year in that school without Voldemort trying to kill me."

Mrs. Weasley gasped, but didn't say anything. It was Bill who finally shrugged and said that he understood and that Harry was right. "Besides, if you finish your education in Hogwarts, nobody will say that you just started in the Ministry because you're Harry Potter. So maybe going the official way is the right thing to do."

Harry nodded grateful. Ron finally nodded as well and announced that he'd go back to Hogwarts with Harry.

"Can't leave you all by yourself now. Who knows what happens when I'm not around…" he finally said with a crooked grin and Harry grinned back. This was Ron's way of apologizing. And Harry was glad about it, even though he hadn't missed the ambiguity in Ron's sentence. The last time he'd left Harry alone, Hermione had happened. And it was actually the best thing that ever happened to him at all.

"Ok, you want to go back to Hogwarts. That's a great idea. But you don't have to move out, Harry. It doesn't make sense to look for an apartment if you are going to stay in Hogwarts anyway." Mrs. Weasley finally said with a smile and Harry smiled back.

"Actually, I have some plans over the summer. I will take care of Sirius house. The Ministry wants to turn it into a memorial place for the members of the Order of the Phoenix. I want to help. And afterwards, I'd like to have some holiday. Visit places that have been special to my parents. Have a look if the Dursley's are fine and tell them that they could go back to Surrey if they want to. There are some things I need to do by myself. So please, let me go. I promise to be back. This is like home for me after all."

Mrs. Weasley had tears in her eyes, but didn't complain any longer. And finally they went to bed. Harry didn't miss Ginny's glance when she disappeared in her room, but he chose to ignore it. When he saw Ron standing in the room they were sharing, he knew that he couldn't ignore him though.

"So you plan on leaving?" Ron asked casually and Harry sighed. He knew that he wouldn't like this kind of discussion. He just nodded and Ron replied with a snort.

"Does this have anything to do with Hermione?" he finally asked and Harry thought yes but he said no.

"Ron, this has been a tough year. Like really tough. And I just need a break. I made up my mind yesterday, it's not as if I was planning this for weeks." Harry said tired and sat down on his bed.

"I see. First Hermione disappears and now you're leaving. What did I miss, Harry? What's been going on between you and Mione? And don't tell me there's nothing, because I'm not stupid. I've seen the way you look at her and the way you two talk and it might have been my imagination in the last years but something definitely changed when I left a couple of weeks ago. She wants me to be her friend. She wrote it in her letter. She didn't ask me to go with her, even though I always thought that was what we would do. I was hoping we would start anew once everything was over but instead she left. I know she's been angry with me, but that passed long ago. So what happened? What did I miss?" Ron asked and he looked at Harry calm and expectantly.

Harry knew that he could lie. He could tell Ron that he didn't know what all of this was about and that there was nothing between him and Hermione. He could have lied. But he didn't. It was time to tell the truth, time to be honest. And time to see how much their friendship could really endure.

"You missed that Hermione and I, we fell in love." Harry finally whispered.

It was hard to look your enemy in the eye and know that he was about to kill you. It was hard to keep looking for Horcruxes, to be on the run, always ready to be captured and killed. It took a lot of courage to be the Chosen One and handle the responsibility. But in all those years, looking Ron in the eye and telling him that he, Harry, was actually in love with the girl Ron adored for at least 5 years now, was the hardest thing he ever had to do. It was a kind of courage that didn't come easy.

Harry didn't know what to expect. He didn't know if Ron would go crazy or if he would laugh because he wouldn't believe Harry. Instead Ron sat down on his bed as if every ounce of energy had been sucked out of his body.

"I'm so stupid." He finally said low, a humourless laugh escaping his lips. "I trusted you. Even though I always had this feeling about you and Mione, I still trusted you, still believed that you wouldn't betray me like that. I was committed to you. I left school, I left my family, friends, everyone behind to help you out. I've spend months on the run, fighting, searching, freezing and nearly starving… My family took you in, we've been watched all the time. And you stabbed me in the back. The only thing that really mattered to me and you had to take it. You dated my sister! You begged me to date her and then you dumped her being all heroic and whatever and the first moment I'm not around, you hit on my girlfriend? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Ron started shouting and Harry shook his head.

"You left, Ron. You left and she was devastated. She cried all night, she stopped eating…" Harry started explaining, but Ron exploded, punching Harry so hard, he felt his nose break.

"SO IT'S MY FAULT? I WAS GONE ONE FREAKING WEEK AND YOU ALREADY HIT ON HERMIONE? AS IF YOU'VE JUST BEEN WAITING FOR ME TO DISAPPEAR SO THAT YOU COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HER…"

Harry didn't fight back, he took one blow after the other, until his whole face was bloody and swollen.

"I trusted you, I trusted you, because you were my friend. I saved your fucking life and this is how you thank me?" Ron finally asked low, breathing hard, still holding Harry's sweater as if he was just about to punch him one more time. He didn't. Instead he let go and Harry sank down on the floor, bleeding.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Ron finally asked.

Harry tried to take a deep breath, but it hurt too much.

"Because she knew you'd go rogue." A soft voice said reproachful.

Ginny sat down in front of Harry and took her wand. With a couple of spells his nose was fine and the bleeding had stopped.

Ron had turned around, his hands on his hips, his posture stiff.

"You need to leave." He finally said, looking at Harry, who nodded in reply. He had known this would happen. Ginny shook her head.

"Don't be silly, Ron, he can't just leave. And you're not in a position to throw him out!" Ginny spit angry and Harry took her hand with the wand she'd raised towards her brother.

"Gin…, don't. He's right. I need to leave." Harry looked Ron in the eyes when he said: "I'm sorry. For hurting you."

He didn't wait for a reply, but disapparated before Ginny could even try to stop him.

Only moments later, Harry was standing in front of Grimmauld Place number 12. He would ask Ginny to send his clothes and stuff over, but for now he didn't need much. He'd never felt so lonely. Even during the war, when he'd been hiding and running and wondering if he'd survive, he'd never been this lonely. With Hermione and Ron gone, for the first time in years, Harry felt like his 10 year old self that was locked in the cupboard under the stairs.

ooooo

Ginny looked at the spot where Harry had been standing just a minute ago and sighed. She had tears in her eyes.

"How can you even talk to him? How can you protect him and be kind? You love him, don't you?" Ron asked husky, his blue eyes set on the brown ones from his sister.

"I do. But that's exactly the reason why I want him to be happy. And the one that makes him happy is Hermione, not me. We don't have any claim to their love, Ron. We can't control who we fall in love with. And technically, neither you and Hermione, nor Harry and I have been together when they hooked up."

Ron snorted angry.

"Mione and I were as good as together! And then I left and she turned to Harry, as if she's just been waiting for a chance to be with the _Chosen One_ …"

Ginny sighed annoyed.

"Will you stop talking bullshit, Ron Weasley? You have treated Hermione like shit! You want to be honest, ok, then you have to be able to take it. You've hooked up with Lavender just to annoy her. You have ignored her, hurt her and mistreated her countless times. And at the same time you were jealous like crazy whenever another guy noticed that she is loveable. And when you finally started to show your feelings and open up, you prick decided to leave and left them behind. You knew it would break Mione's heart, you knew Harry would be devastated. They could have been killed and you wouldn't have known, because you haven't been strong enough to cope with the situation. And now you stand here and complain about being betrayed because the girl you are in love with was finally tired of you being an ass and noticed that there was a cute, reliable guy right next to her. No girl would take your shit forever, Ron. You brought all this upon yourself. And now you have to live with the consequences. WE have to live with the consequences." Ginny finally whispered and for a long time, none of them said anything at all. The house was eerily quiet.

"She should have told me." Ron finally said low, and Ginny nodded, taking his hand.

"Yes, she should have told you."

 **Author's note:**

 **Here is finally chapter 7. Sorry that it took so long to update, I was crazy busy. Hopefully I will have more time from now on :-)**

 **Thanks for your reviews and opinions. One of you was afraid Hermione wouldn't come back and her goodbye letter would actually really be a goodbye. I'm sorry if the last chapter made this impression, it wasn't my intention. Of course Hermione plans to come back. She wanted to give Ron and Harry some time to be able to work things out and concentrate on their friendship. However, Harry didn't really have a chance, because Ron was being an idiot – again. That's why, in the end he decides to just leave and be honest and to let Ron decide if he wants to keep up the friendship or not. I hope you like the chapter and have a good time reading it. Sorry if there are mistakes, it's been a long day^^**


	8. Chapter 8 - Close Call

**Accidentally in Love**

 **Chapter 8: Close Call**

It was a warm morning in Brisbane and Hermione sat on the terrace of the hostel she'd been sleeping in, drinking a huge cup of coffee. Most travellers in the hostel were slightly older than her, backpacking through the country. She met people from all over the world, some even from the UK. And there was more than one guy hitting on her, but she just told them all that she had a boyfriend back home. She didn't mind the disappointed glances. It was obvious that flirting in hostels was part of the travel experience. If she wasn't heart broken, she would have probably enjoyed the attention. If you were invisible to guys for what felt like years, it was nice to notice sexy surfer boys hitting on you. But whenever a guy appeared in front of her, she could only think of deep, green eyes, that genuine smile, those black locks and the voice that could touch her to the quick. Harry.

How did he feel? Was he still at the Burrow? How were things with Ron? Why the hell had she left without him? It felt so stupid, now that she thought about it. Was distance really a good idea? What if he didn't think about her the way she did? What if Ginny would take her chance and win him back? Thousands of thoughts like that bothered Hermione but she still didn't dare to contact Harry. She was in Australia for two weeks now. She knew where her parents were. They lived in a city called Newcastle and were both working as dentists. Hermione had used a simple tracking spell and could have been there in the blink of an eye. But she didn't want to. There were many questions she couldn't answer yet and she knew her parents would ask. So she drove around in a cheap car, using the money she had saved for years on her bank account. It made her feel free and part of her really enjoyed it not to know where she'd spend the next day. It could have been perfect. But it wasn't. Nothing would ever be perfect without _him_.

The days were nice. Even though it was actually winter time in Australia, weather was still nice and warm, especially in comparison to the UK. Hermione enjoyed the warmth and spend as much time outside as possible. She took pictures, read a lot and spend hours at the beach. She tried hard to enjoy it, but she just couldn't stop worrying about what was going on back at the Burrow. So the next morning, after a night of tossing and turning, she finally decided that it was time to stop being a coward. She had to know what was going on and she had to clear things. And she had to do it, before finding her parents.

It was early morning in Brisbane, so it was late evening in London. Hermione was sitting in a single room in her Hostel, looking down at one of Harry's shirts. She'd taken it without asking and had been sleeping with it for the last couple of days. She would never tell anyone, because clearly it was pathetic, but now that she needed to track him, it was good to have something that belonged to him. First she'd thought she would simply go to the Burrow, but then she decided to use the spell first. She wasn't sure that Harry was still there and if she was being honest, part of her really hoped he wasn't. Dealing with Harry AND Ron would be too much. Besides, she really wanted to talk to Harry alone and it was nearly impossible in the Burrow.

After walking around her bed for what felt like ages and wondering whether she should do it or not, she finally gathered her courage and said the spell. And as expected, Harry was in Grimmauld Place. Hermiones heart was beating as fast as if she'd been running at high speed and her hands were sweaty. Why was she being that nervous? It was Harry. Her hands started shaking. No turning back now, she thought and felt the familiar pull before apparating.

ooooo

Hermione appeared in the dark alley of Grimmauld Place, heart racing. Number 12 was visible, which surprised Hermione. She'd expected it to be difficult to make an entrance, but now she just had to knock. She approached the door with sweaty palms and knocked three times. It was too late to back down now. Excitement and fear made her heart beat even faster and then she heard the door open and looked into green eyes – but not the ones she'd been hoping for. Kreacher looked at her expectantly, not letting her in.

"What do you want?" he finally asked and Hermione frowned.

"Uhm, I… well, I wanted to see Harry." She answered surprised and the old house-elf nodded.

"Master Harry is not home yet. Kreacher knows you. You're Master's friend. You can wait inside." Kreacher said with a little bow. He really did remember her. Hermione nodded relieved.

She entered the big house and even though it was still glum, it looked much better. The dark Portrait of Sirius' mother had disappeared and everything was lighter and friendlier. It was not a house Hermione would have wanted to stay in forever, but it was much homier now that Harry was living here.

Hermione sat down in the living room and looked around. Kreacher brought some tea and she smiled grateful. There were several letters on the table, all fan-letters apparently. In one corner was a huge clock showing that it was nearly 11 o'clock. Where was Harry? It was late, why wasn't he home? A strange feeling settled in the pit of Hermiones stomach.

"Kreacher? Where is Harry right now?" Hermione asked friendly and the house-elf looked at her motionless.

"Out." He just said and Hermione sighed but nodded grateful.

Maybe she shouldn't have come. Maybe this had been a stupid idea. Hermione clearly felt out of place. Something was strange and fear settled in her heart. Before she could think of leaving, she heard the front door open, followed by laughter. Hermiones heart was racing out of different reasons now. Harry wasn't alone. And she knew the voice of the girl that was with him. She'd been so stupid to think he was being home alone, sulking because of her being gone. Just when Harry opened the door to the living room, Hermione had already disapparated.

Back in her hostel room, Hermione wanted to throw Harry's shirt away, but she couldn't. Instead she put it into her pearl bag, wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes and leaving the hostel for good. It was time to find her parents and go back home.

All kinds of emotions raged inside her heart while driving towards Newcastle. She didn't really see anything, except pictures of Harry and Ginny having a good time. She couldn't stop it. She was wondering if they were back together, if Harry had been so angry about her leaving, that he'd turned back to his ex-girlfriend. The simple thought of them being alone in that huge house made her so angry, she nearly hit a truck. Hermione didn't care. She was just furious and even though she knew deep down that she was being silly and unreasonable, she couldn't help it. And she didn't want to. The last time she'd been so angry, was when Ron came back right after her and Harry had hooked up. She remembered as if it was yesterday.

 _ooooo_

 _The next hours passed in tension. Ron told them everything about his adventures when he was gone and Harry told him about theirs. He didn't tell Ron everything of course. Not a single word about what had happened between them. Hermione had never been that angry and confused at the same time. And what bothered her most was Harry locking up. He didn't even look at her properly and it drove her crazy. After everything that had happened, he was now avoiding her? So not going to happen._

 _As usual Ron fell asleep soundly, but Hermione couldn't even think about sleeping. Harry had left to keep watch and she covered herself in a thick blanket and went outside. She sat down quietly next to him, not daring to touch him. They both sat in silence, looking at the stars in the clear sky. It was cold, but Hermione didn't mind. She started shaking softly and soon felt Harrys arm around her shoulder, holding her close to warm her. She put her head on his shoulder and they sat like that for a while until Harry finally broke the silence._

" _I said his name. That's why he found us."_

 _Hermione nodded._

" _I know. Kind of ironic considering that it's the same way to alert He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named…"_

 _Harry snorted._

" _I know that I would have been probably dead without him, but am I stupid for still regretting that I said it?"_

 _Hermione took his hand and squeezed it._

" _You are a lot of things, Harry Potter. Stupid is not one of them."_

 _Their eyes locked and time stood still. How did he do this? How could a simple look do so many things to her insides?_

" _We can't do this. Not with him here. Not like this. It's… not right." Harry said husky, frowning as if he was surprised that these words actually came out of his mouth._

 _Hermione nodded with a heavy sigh. It was so messed up._

" _Why did it take so long for me to realize?" Harry asked low and Hermione wasn't sure if he was asking her or rather himself. "It's really ironic. Now that I might die any moment, I feel like such an idiot. We could have had so much time…"_

 _Hermione shook her head and squeezed his hand one more time._

" _Don't you dare talking like it's already over, Harry. You're going to make it. We are. We have a ton of time when this is over. I promise."_

 _Harry smiled._

" _Always saying the right things, aren't you Mione? You give me hope. You always have. Even before I noticed that I'm crazy about you. You were always the light in my dark. If there really is an after, I will do the right thing. I'll take you on a date."_

 _Hermione laughed. He had that sparkle in his eyes. She knew that this was just dreaming, that none of this would probably come true. But it felt so good. They talked about places they wanted to visit and things they wanted to do. It was a long list and they had a lot of fun. And even though Harry tried to keep a certain distance, his hand was still holding hers. For a while it felt as if they were still all alone. As if the magic of the last days was more than just a bittersweet memory._

ooooo

Harry was frozen in shock. She'd been there. He'd seen her. Just for a moment, but he'd clearly seen her disapparating. His heart was still racing at the thought of her leaving like that. And he couldn't stop wondering why.

"Kreacher? When did Mione come?" he asked distracted, not able to focus on anything else than the look on Hermiones face. She'd been devastated. Why?

"Mistress came half an hour ago." The old house-elf said low.

Harry started walking around confused.

"She just left. Without even saying hi! What the hell? I haven't seen her for over 2 weeks and then she vanishes like that without even saying something?" he started ranting, out of his mind because he couldn't cope with the fact that she'd been this close and he still hadn't been able to talk to her.

Ginny sighed and sat down, which made Harry stop in his tracks.

"What?" he asked frowning and Ginny shook her head, as if to decide if she should really tell him.

"I might regret this, but I can't see you like that… Harry what do you think how Hermione must feel seeing you and me alone together in your house this late in the evening?"

Harrys eyes widened in surprise. Could it be that simple?

"You can't be serious." He said determined. Hermione was one of the most reasonable girls he knew. Never would she vanish like that without giving him the chance to explain.

Ginny sighed again, a small smile on her lips.

"Harry, you are one of the bravest and smartest guys I know, but you are so dense when it comes to girls, that I can't help thinking you spend too much time with Ron."

A shadow crossed Harry's features. He still wasn't talking to Ron and every time he heard his name it felt just wrong. He focused on Hermione instead and kept frowning.

"You try telling me that Mione is jealous?" he said as if the simple thought was crazy.

Ginny laughed.

"I say that she must have given in to her wish to see you and then she finally appears on your doorstop and you bring another girl back home. And not only a girl, but your ex-girlfriend. She must think you do fine without her. If it was me, I would have cursed you or beaten up the other girl, but Hermione is not like that. She rather disappears, keeping what is left of her dignity."

Harry snorted, not sure if he should laugh or cry. She'd wanted to see him. After all those lonely nights. He could have slapped himself. He'd been home alone every night and the only night when he decided to give in and show Ginny what a Muggle cinema looked like, Hermione decided to come looking for him.

Harry stood up determined and Ginnys eyes darkened a shade, as if she knew what he was about to do. She sighed again, this time deeper.

"I knew you would do this." She confirmed his thought and smiled crooked. "Good luck, Harry."

Harry nodded. "Thanks."

With a small smile, Ginny disapparated. Harry didn't have time to feel sorry for her. He'd told her that he only wanted to be friends. He even told her he would understand if she'd prefer to keep her distance. She didn't want to. And to be honest, he was grateful. Ginny was a good friend. And she could have kept him in the dark tonight. He would have needed some time to figure out what was wrong and she'd clearly helped him.

While Harry started packing a few things, he kept thinking about Hermione. He was done waiting. He was done being patient. He was done being noble. He'd accepted Ron's blows only because he felt like he deserved them. He did fall in love with the girl his best friend loved and it felt like the right thing to accept those punches. But now he was done being the good guy. He was done always stepping aside and playing nice. It was time to stop being everybody's darling. He knew what he wanted and it was time for him to take it. This time he would be the one pursuing happiness. And the name of his happiness was Hermione. And once he had her, he'd never let her go again.

 **Author's note:**

 **Here is finally chapter 8. I am so sorry for such a long break… The only excuse I have, is that I actually gave birth to a beautiful, little girl and she took everything I had the last nine months. :-) Even though I wanted to write now and then, I never found the time. And if you don't sleep for what feels like months, you kind of miss motivation^^**

 **Even though it's late, I still hope there are some people who still read this story and like it. The last chapter was criticized a lot for Harry letting Ron beat him up. I still think it suits Harry to act this way. Even though most of you don't seem to like Ron a lot, he still was/is the person who was Harry's first real friend. I don't think you really understand what this means to a guy who was all alone and mistreated for most of his life. The importance of Ron and Hermione is so huge in Harry's life, because they are the only ones who stick to him from the beginning until the end. And even though Ron sure has his quirks, he still gave Harry what he always wished for: friendship and a family. Harry knows that Ron's greatest fear is to lose Hermione to Harry. And he knows that by falling in love with her, he breaks Ron's heart in every way possible. What are a few punches compared to the pain Ron must be feeling when his best friend steals the girl he loves? So, I'm sorry you didn't like that part, but for me it shows so clearly who Ron and Harry are, that I really think it fits perfectly in my story. :-)**

 **Now I hope you like chapter 8 and I will try to update as soon as possible. I promise it won't take 9 months this time :D**


	9. Chapter 9 - Truly, Madly, Deeply

**Accidentally in Love**

 **Chapter 9: Truly, Madly, Deeply**

It didn't take long for Harry to pack. He didn't know how long he'd be gone, but he never travelled with a lot of baggage, so it was fine. It wasn't hard to find something for the tracking spell. He had her letter as well as several other souvenirs that reminded him of her. Trivial things like a hair tie and a pen she used a lot for writing. But not matter what he tried, the tracking spell wouldn't work. She'd blocked him. Harry didn't know if he should be angry or impressed. So much for being reasonable. He'd obviously underestimated Hermiones jealousy. Strangely it satisfied him a lot to know that he mattered enough to her to make her act this childish. He wouldn't admit it, but it made him happy in a twisted way. But it also complicated things. Leave it to women to make things harder than necessary.

Harry sighed and disapparated to Sydney. It was one of the most popular places in Australia and as good as any other point to start looking for Hermione and her parents. It was noon and the sun was shining brightly. He had to squeeze his eyes shut and was surprised. He'd totally forgotten about the time difference and had expected to arrive at night. Another thing he wouldn't tell anyone.

As he didn't know where to start, he walked to the next library, looking for a telephone book or any kind of indexes. Sydney was great. He really enjoyed the walk and couldn't stop grinning. It was a sunny day and the city was full of life. And nobody knew him. It was awesome. Whenever Harry went through the streets of London, there would always be someone who knew him. People started chasing him for autographs, everybody wanted to talk to him, they asked him questions that made him feel uncomfortable and everybody wanted to touch him. Harry had never shaken so many hands in his whole life. It was tiring. Especially because he always had to be polite and kind but sometimes he just wanted to scream. That's why he started to wear his invisibility cloak whenever he left the house. But nobody cared about the "Chosen One" in Sydney. It was great to be just some random guy for a change.

Harry finally arrived at the library and asked for help. He knew that Hermiones parents were dentists and he remembered that they thought their names were Wendell and Monica Wilkins. So he started searching for dentists with those names. But that was easier said than done. There were lots of Wilkins and to make sure to find the right ones, he would have to go to every city and check every index. That would take much too long. He didn't have that much time. He didn't know when Hermione would leave Australia for good. Maybe she was home with her parents long ago and he was wasting time.

"Let me find you…" he whispered. "Mione, please…"

ooooo

Meanwhile, Hermione was standing in front of a nice house with a pretty front yard. Her heart was beating fast and she was nervous. She had tried her best to forget about Harry and Ginny, but she couldn't. Instead she'd made her way to Newcastle as soon as possible and now that she was standing here, she felt overwhelmed. How would her parents react? Would they be angry? Hermione snorted. They would be furious. But hopefully they'd understand. She didn't regret a thing. She walked up to the door and rang the doorbell. Better not hesitate any longer.

Hermione heard heavy footsteps and then the door opened and she looked into the familiar brown eyes of her father. He looked at her confused, as if she looked familiar but he couldn't quite tell why.

"Can I help you?" he finally asked and Hermione felt tears in her eyes. It took everything she had not to hug him. She hadn't been sure if she'd ever see him again. Being now right in front of her, made her all weak and teary.

"Can I come in, please? There is something I need to tell you." She said low and he nodded, still a little frown on his forehead.

Hermione followed her father into a nice, bright living room.

"Wendell? Who was at the door?" a woman's voice suddenly sounded from the kitchen and Hermiones heart was beating even faster.

"It's a girl, Monica. She might need help." Her father shouted and looked at Hermione expectantly.

Before she could say anything, her mother entered the living room, a cup of coffee in her hand and a surprised expression on her face.

Hermione stood up and looked at her parents longingly and they both looked back at her confused. Before things could get even stranger, Hermione took out her wand and said the spell to restore her parent's memories. The confusion in their expression got even bigger and then understanding set in. When they woke up from their trance, Hermione's mother made three huge steps and hugged her firm. For the first time in ages, Hermione let herself be pampered. She spend the next hours explaining, crying and apologizing. Even though her parents were quite angry about being robbed of her most important memories, they still understood. And they were relieved to see that Hermione was safe.

Hermione's parents didn't go to work that day. Instead they spend every minute together. They wanted to know everything that had happened and they spend hours just talking. Later on her mother was cooking Hermione's favourite dish and they were having a great dinner. And then finally her parents asked the question that Hermione had been fearing all the time.

"Where are your friends? Where are Ron and Harry? How come they didn't accompany you?" her father asked confused and Hermione took a big bite of her pasta to cover that she didn't really want to answer that question.

"Ron is home with his family and Harry… He's busy restoring the new Ministry. They wanted to come, but this was something I wanted to do by myself. You can meet them when we go back." Hermione said as cheerful as possible. Her parents exchanged a long glance.

"Hermione…we actually thought about staying here. We have a really great practice with very nice patients. The house is perfect and you can always apparate to visit." Her mother finally said, touching her hand.

Hermione was surprised. She'd never expected her parents to feel like staying in Australia. Finally she nodded. If this made them happy, why should she object?

"Sure. Sounds great." She finally replied and they kept talking about the future. Hermione told them she wanted to visit Hogwarts for one more year to finish her education. Afterwards, she'd try to find a job that made her happy. It was a nice and pleasant conversation and finally it was late enough for Hermione to excuse herself and go to bed. She was tired. Relieved because of her parents' reaction, but still tired. And she couldn't stop thinking about Harry. She'd blocked the tracking spell, because she hadn't wanted him to find her. She didn't want to hear his excuses. But she missed him so bad, it nearly hurt.

Hermione tried to sleep, but she couldn't. Finally she went downstairs and sat down outside in the back garden. The sky was different in Australia. Clearer and somehow wider. It was beautiful. The grass was still warm and she enjoyed the feeling of eternal summer. She could understand why her parents felt like staying.

"What's wrong, Honey?" her mother's voice suddenly sounded behind her and Hermione winced surprised.

"I just couldn't sleep, Mom. Probably just jet-lagged." She said smiling and her mother sat down next to her.

"I also couldn't sleep. The simple thought of what you've been through nearly drives me crazy. The fact that you could have died and I wouldn't have even known, that's so hard to cope with, it makes me cry. We should have been there for you, Hermione. We are your parents, we are responsible for your sake. Promise that you will never again play with our memories. Please, I need you to promise. Forgetting you is the worst thing that ever happened to us."

Hermione gulped. She felt guilty. Her motives had been honourable, but she could only imagine how her parents must have felt when they realized that she'd manipulated them in such a way. She nodded. "I promise, Mum."

Her mother nodded and put her arm around her shoulder.

"And now tell me what's wrong. What happened with your friends? What's with Ron and Harry?"

Hermione glanced at her mother surprised and she laughed at her daughter's expression.

"Oh please, it's offending that you think I could be that blind. I have been young and in love myself, dear. I sense a broken heart ten miles away. What happened?"

ooooo

 _The next days passed in tension. Harry and Ron were nearly talking as usual, but Hermione kept quiet. She couldn't stop being confused. The only times she was alone with Harry, was when Ron was sleeping. However, they never did anything inappropriate except holding hands. They didn't talk about the future and didn't make plans. Actually they didn't talk a lot at all. Harry had locked up completely and kept his distance and Hermione felt as if she was standing next to herself, looking at her actions, but not really feeling them. She was losing Harry. She could see it in every glance, feel it in every touch. He was giving up on her._

 _Ron on the other hand, tried everything to make her forgive him. He touched her whenever possible, agreed with whatever she said, tried to be close to her all day. It was as if he was trying to make up for all the time he'd been a dick, even in the past. He was cute, attentive, and affectionate. Hermione couldn't deny that she would have given in to him if this change in person would have happened a couple of weeks ago. Now it was tiring and irritating and it made her feel confused and overwhelmed and a bit angry. And with every day passing, Hermione got angrier. But not at Ron. She was angry at Harry. Harry who had acted as if she was special to him and who now kept his distance as if she had the plague._

 _Some days passed like this until Hermiones temper finally gained the upper hand and her composure crumbled._

 _It was a quiet evening and Ron was already sleeping soundly. She'd been standing outside with Harry, trying to keep a conversation running, trying to do anything to make him act like his usual self, but she only got short answers and he hardly looked at her. Finally she couldn't take it any longer. She used a Muffliato spell on Ron and started shouting at Harry._

" _What the hell is wrong with you? You go and do all these cute things and say these perfect lines and then you act as if I'm special and now that Ron is back you pretend nothing happened and you don't even look at me? Are you serious?"_

 _Harry looked at her surprised but his expression turned nearly immediately into one of indifference._

" _Mione, we have more important things to do. We need to find the Horcruxes and we don't need any kind of relationship drama complicating this mission. It's too important and too many people depend on us being successful. Besides, Ron is really sorry about what has happened and will do anything to make it up to you…"_

 _Hermione got so angry, she started shaking._

" _WILL YOU STOP THIS BULLSHIT HARRY POTTER! I'M NOT SOME STUPID IDIOT NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY SAYING! YOU WANT ME PRETENDING NOTHING EVER HAPPENED AND TO JUST GO BACK TO RON AS IF I'M SOME ITEM THAT CAN BE TOSSED AROUND!" She shouted, not caring if anybody would be able to hear her. But as fast as her anger had come, it also vanished. "So in the end it didn't mean anything to you…"_

 _The last words were a mere whisper. She turned around and wanted to go inside. Hermione didn't want Harry to see her tears. She felt so stupid. She'd given everything to him and now he acted as if she should just crawl back to Ron as if nothing ever happened. Who did he think he was?_

 _Before she could enter the tent, he grabbed her arm and turned her around, being so close to her that her heartbeat increased rapidly. She'd never seen such a look in his green eyes. So much pain, so much hunger, so much need. Hermione couldn't even say something. He was holding her arm so firm, it nearly hurt._

" _Don't you dare telling me what you mean to me. You don't even have the slightest idea." Harry whispered husky, his face so close to hers, that she could see the golden flecks in his green eyes, even though it was already dark outside._

" _Then tell me." She asked low, her heart still racing._

 _Harry closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again, there was pure torture in his gaze._

" _It will break him. I saw it. The locket shows your biggest fears. His biggest fear is you and me being together. It will destroy him. And not being with you will destroy ME. Don't you see? But I can't let that happen, Mione… I just can't. I'm a dead man. Let's be honest for once. The chances for me to survive this crazy shit are close to zero. There is no future with me. No chance at happiness… But with Ron… Ron could make you happy. One day, when time has healed those wounds, Ron will be able to make you happy. I can't destroy this chance out of pure egoism. Not if it means that I will leave you heartbroken and alone. I can't do that. So don't you dare to ever say it didn't mean anything to me, when in fact you and those days we had mean everything."_

 _Hermione felt as if liquid fire was running through her veins. She crushed her lips on Harry's and threw her arms around his neck, savouring the feeling of his body so close to hers. She couldn't stop the tears from falling, but she was holding on to Harry and their kiss as if she'd die as soon as they would break it. She didn't care if Ron saw them. She didn't care about anyone else than Harry. Even though his words about Ron made her stomach ache, her heart was overwhelmed by love. Love for Harry and nobody else. She tried to put all of her feelings in that kiss and Harry didn't push her away. If possible he hugged her even closer, deepening the kiss and causing a sweet sensation in her belly. No matter how messed up things were, in this moment Hermione knew that nothing would ever truly be able to separate them – not even death._

ooooo

"Hermione?" her mother asked worried and she came back to reality with a nod.

"Sorry… I…" Hermione started to apologize, but didn't quite know what to say. Maybe she'd overreacted. Maybe she should have at least waited to give Harry a chance for explanation. She didn't know why Ginny was with him the other night. Maybe they'd just been talking. If Ron was mad at them, Harry didn't have a lot of real friends. Maybe she'd been an idiot for blocking the tracking spell and acting like a child.

"You're zoning out again, Hermione. I wish I would know what goes on in that brilliant mind of yours. Will you finally tell me what happened? With you and your friends, I mean."

Hermione sighed and nodded.

"I'm not sure if we're still friends, to be honest…" she said low, a painful expression on her face.

Her mother nodded understanding.

"When you became friends with those two, I always waited for the moment when the line between friendship and love would start to blur. You know most people try to convince themselves, that it's possible to be just friends with the opposite gender, but that's not true. In friendship, there is always love. And sooner or later these feelings surface. It was just a matter of time. This is about the dark haired boy, isn't it? Harry?"

Hermione nodded surprised. Her mother's words had touched her in a way she didn't expect. Jean Granger normally wasn't the type to give advice in matters of love.

"So, what happened?"

Hermione told her mother everything. She didn't mention the parts where she and Harry had sex of course. It was gross talking to your parents about this kind of stuff. But she mentioned how Ron had left, how she and Harry had gotten closer and how things had become really complicated when Ron returned. How they were always torn between wanting to be together and worrying about losing Ron's friendship forever. How finally Hermione had decided to leave for Australia all by herself and how she'd gone back to see Harry just to find him with his ex-girlfriend. She didn't talk about the battle of Hogwarts. About the pain and the fear and the nightmares. This was something she wasn't yet ready to share. Especially because she knew that her parents would feel guilty if they knew what she'd really been through.

She couldn't stop talking and it felt good. It felt good to let all those feelings out and to talk about Ron and Harry without being careful not to hurt anyone's feelings. Finally Hermione stopped and both of them didn't say anything for a while.

"It was time to get all this stuff off your chest. I bet you feel better now." Her mother said with a smile and Hermione snorted.

"Actually, I really do. Do you think I overreacted? Did I… should I have given him a chance to explain?" she asked her mother frowning.

"How would you feel if this was a big misunderstanding and Harry would just disappear without letting you explain?" her mother asked in return and Hermione sighed.

"That would suck." She admitted low.

"I guess you have your answer. Let him explain. You can still hex him if you don't like his explanation. Or send him to your dad. He'll give him a root treatment he won't forget."

Hermione laughed and squeezed her mother's hand. With a swing of her wand the blockade that made her untraceable was gone. If Harry was looking for her, he should now be able to find her.

 **Author's note:**

 **So chapter 9 is ready and I really hope you like it :-) Thanks for the reviews I got on chapter 8 so far and thank you for the congrats. It made me happy. Let me know what you think about the story so far and keep reading :-) Thank you!**


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